RISC-V Profiles Help Conformance


Experts At The Table: What's needed to be able to trust that a RISC-V implementation will work as expected across multiple designs using standard OSes. Semiconductor Engineering discussed the issue with John Min, vice president of customer service at Arteris; ZdenÄ›k PÅ™ikryl, CTO of Codasip; Neil Hand, director of marketing at Siemens EDA (at the time of this discussion); Frank Schirrmeist... » read more

Baby Steps Toward 3D DRAM


Flash memory has made incredible capacity strides thanks to monolithic 3D processing enabled by the stacking of more than 200 layers, which is on its way to 1.000 layers in future generations.[1] But the equally important DRAM has achieved a similar manufacturable 3D architecture. The need for a sufficiently large means of storing charge — such as a capacitor — has proved elusive. Severa... » read more

Navigating Increased Complexity In Advanced Packaging


As chips evolve toward stacked, heterogeneous assemblies and adopt more complex materials, engineers are grappling with new and often less predictable sources of variation. This is redefining what it means to achieve precision, forcing companies to rethink everything from process control and in-line metrology to materials selection and multi-level testing. These assemblies are the result of ... » read more

Challenges In Powering Electrification With GaN And SiC


The wish list of device properties that designers of power management systems would like to have is lengthy, but no single material is yet sufficient for the full range of power control applications. For control transistors to handle power surges, breakdown voltages should be at least triple the expected operating voltage — 1.2 kilovolts or more for many electric vehicle applications, and ... » read more

Shortcutting Graduates’ Path To Productivity In Manufacturing And Test


Manufacturing, test, assembly, and analytics companies are finding unique ways to engage with universities in an effort to shore up the talent pipeline. The industry is recruiting graduates from universities across the U.S. while partnering with local institutes to serve specific needs. Industry/university co-operation includes: Mapping job descriptions Providing curricula frameworks... » read more

Is In-Memory Compute Still Alive?


In-memory computing (IMC) has had a rough go, with the most visible attempt at commercialization falling short. And while some companies have pivoted to digital and others have outright abandoned the technology, developers are still trying to make analog IMC a success. There is disagreement regarding the benefits of IMC (also called compute-in-memory, or CIM). Some say it’s all about reduc... » read more

Chiplet Interconnects Add Power And Signal Integrity Issues


The flexibility and scalability offered by chiplets make them an increasingly attractive choice over planar SoCs, but the rollout of increasingly heterogeneous assemblies adds a variety of new challenges around the processing and movement of data. Nearly all of the chiplets in use today were designed in-house by large systems companies and IDMs. Going forward, third-party chiplets will begin... » read more

Where Is The Software For Shift Left?


Co-development of hardware and software has been a dream for a long time, but significant hurdles remain. Neither domain is ready with what the other requires at the appropriate time. The earlier something can be done in a development flow, the less likely problems will be found when they are more difficult or expensive to fix. It may require both tool and methodology changes, so that a proc... » read more

Why Chips Fail, And What To Do About It


Experts at the Table: Semiconductor Engineering sat down to discuss reliability of chips in the context of safety- and mission-critical systems, as well as increasing utilization due to an explosion in AI data, with Steve Pateras, vice president of marketing and business development at Synopsys; Noam Brousard, vice president of solutions engineering at proteanTecs; Harry Foster, chief verificat... » read more

Aftermarket Sensors Boost Yield In Wafer Fabs


Third-party sensors are being added into fab equipment to help boost yield and to extend the life of expensive tools, supplementing the sensors that come with equipment used in fabs. The data gleaned from those sensors has broad uses within the fab. It can measure process module performance, identify defect sources, and alert fabs of impending equipment failure. And when coupled with machine... » read more

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