New AI Data Types Emerge


AI is all about data, and the representation of the data matters strongly. But after focusing primarily on 8-bit integers and 32‑bit floating-point numbers, the industry is now looking at new formats. There is no single best type for every situation, because the choice depends on the type of AI model, whether accuracy, performance, or power is prioritized, and where the computing happens, ... » read more

RISC-V’s Software Portability Challenge


Experts At The Table: RISC-V provides a platform for customization, but verifying those changes remains challenging. Semiconductor Engineering discussed the issue with John Min, vice president of customer service at Arteris; Zdeněk Přikryl, CTO of Codasip; Neil Hand, director of marketing at Siemens EDA (at the time of this discussion); Frank Schirrmeister, executive director for strategi... » read more

Advanced Packaging Drives Test And Metrology Innovations


Advanced packaging has become a focal point for innovation as the semiconductor industry continues to push for increased transistor density and better performance. But the pace of change is accelerating, making it harder for the entire ecosystem to keep up with those changes. In the past, major developments were roughly on an 18-month to 2-year cadence. Today, this is happening every few mon... » read more

Yield Management Embraces Expanding Role


Competitive pressures, shrinking time-to-market windows, and increased customization are collectively changing the dynamics and demands for yield management systems, shifting left from the fab to the design flow and right to assembly, packaging, and in-field analysis. The basic role of yield management systems is still expediting new product introductions, reducing scrap, and delivering grea... » read more

Balancing Parallel Test Productivity With Yield & Cost


Parallel test is used for nearly every device produced by fabs and OSATs, but it can reduce yield and increase the cost of test boards and operations. This is a well-understood tradeoff for ensuring consistent test accuracy across multiple sites and reducing test time. Collectively, ATEs and multi-site test boards — DUT interface boards (DIBs), probe cards, and load boards — significantl... » read more

Automotive OEMs Focus On SDVs, Zonal Architectures


Giant automotive OEMs are re-evaluating how quickly to move to advanced technologies and software-driven designs amid crushing financial pressure from low-cost EVs developed in other markets such as China. U.S., European, and Japanese OEMs have been struggling for the past half-decade or so to figure out which is the best approach to developing EVs, undergoing multiple shifts in both hardwar... » read more

AI Drives IC Design Shifts At The Edge


The increasing adoption of AI in edge devices, coupled with a growing demand for new features, is forcing chipmakers to rethink when and where data gets processed, what kind of processors to use, and how to build enough flexibility into systems to span multiple markets. Unlike in the cloud, where the solution generally involves nearly unlimited resources, computing at the edge has sharp cons... » read more

Batteries Look Beyond Lithium


Lithium batteries dominate today’s rechargeable battery market, and while they have been wildly successful, challenges with lithium have spurred research into alternative chemistries that can improve on some of lithium’s downsides and still keep as many of the upsides as possible. So far, none of the alternative batteries has seen commercial success, but several variants have moved beyon... » read more

Big Changes Ahead For Analog Design


Experts at the Table: Semiconductor Engineering sat down to discuss the impact of heterogeneous integration on in-house analog tools, and how that is changing the design process, with Mo Faisal, president and CEO of Movellus; Hany Elhak, executive director of product management at Synopsys; Cedric Pujol, product manager at Keysight; and Pradeep Thiagarajan, principal product manager for custom ... » read more

EMEA Investments Driving Technology Specialization


Government programs across Europe and the UK are seeing a surge of investments in leading edge technology, materials, and packaging. Industry and academia are coalescing around specialty areas, drawing on established relationships to foster innovation and fill gaps in regional supply chains while also maintaining international bonds. Government initiatives also are picking up in Israel, Saudi A... » read more

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