Zeno Semi Expands On-Chip Memory


San Jose, Calif.-based startup Zeno Semiconductor is testing modifications and a smaller process node for the single-transistor 28nm SRAM chip it introduced in 2016, which could boost space for on-chip CPU memory by more than 2.5X, according to the co-founder and CEO of the company, Yuniarto Widjaja. The Zeno-1 transistor is built on standard CMOS processes, has a bi-stable bipolar transisto... » read more

Week in Review: IoT, Security, Auto


Internet of Things Arm aims to accelerate Linux-based embedded design through providing quick access to the Cortex-A5 CPU under the Arm DesignStart program. Developers can work on embedded and Internet of Things system-on-a-chip devices for gateways, medical systems, smart homes, and wearable electronics. IP access to the Cortex-A5 is now $75,000, with one-year of design support from Arm exper... » read more

The Power Of Ecosystems At Arm TechCon 2018


I have long been fascinated by the workings of ecosystems. Last week’s Arm TechCon in San Jose was a textbook example of how ecosystems work, overlap and how the electronics development work is indeed like a village—it takes many players to make things happen to enable end users to receive the latest gadgets like phones, fitness trackers, electronic watches, etc. The game of electronic ecos... » read more

From Physics To Applications


Jack Harding, president and CEO of eSilicon, sat down with Semiconductor Engineering to talk about the shift toward AI and advanced packaging, and the growing opportunities at 7nm at a time when Moore's Law has begun slowing down. What follows are excerpts of that conversation. SE: Over the past year, the industry has changed its focus from shrinking features and consolidation to all sorts o... » read more

Week in Review: IoT, Security, Auto


Internet of Things At Arm TechCon, Arm unveiled its Neoverse brand identity, providing an infrastructure foundation for 5G, the Internet of Things, edge computing, and other applications. The Arm Neoverse IP will proliferate next year from Arm and its technology partners. With Arm’s “Ares” platform, to be introduced in 2019, the company promises to deliver 30% per-generation performance ... » read more

EUV’s Uncertain Future


The ground appears to be solidifying under EUV. Intel announced this week it is reducing its stake in ASML to less than 3%, the second such move in a year. Apparently ASML no longer needs outside help. According to the company's earnings report, ASML turned in net sales of €2.776 billion, a slight increase over the €2.447 billion (GAAP) the company reported in Q3 and way up over the €... » read more

Wanted: Mask Equipment for Mature Nodes


Rising demand for chips at mature nodes is impacting the photomask supply chain, causing huge demand for trailing-edge masks and a shortfall of older mask equipment. The big issue is the equipment shortfall, which could impact customers on several fronts. Tool shortages could lead to longer mask turnaround times and delivery schedules for chips being developed at 90nm and above, which are bu... » read more

RISC-V: More Than a Core


The open-source RISC-V instruction set architecture (ISA) is attracting a lot of attention across the semiconductor industry, but its long-term success will depend on levels of cooperation never seen before in the semiconductor industry. The big question now is how committed the industry is to RISC-V's success. The real value that RISC-V brings is the promise of an ecosystem and the opportun... » read more

Adding AI To The IoT


The Internet of Things is about to undergo a radical change, fueled by vast number of things coupled with an almost pervasive presence of AI. The IoT today encompasses a long list of vertical markets, all of them connected to the Internet but not necessarily to each other. The concept of the IoT really began taking off in 2015, when a combination of data analytics, high-speed, affordable and... » read more

Week in Review: IoT, Security, Auto


Deals Dialog Semiconductor made a blockbuster deal with Apple – the chip company will license power management technologies and transfer some assets to Apple, which will use them in their internal chip research and development. More than 300 Dialog employees, mostly engineers, will join Apple, which will pay $300 million in cash for the transaction and prepay another $300 million for Dialog ... » read more

← Older posts Newer posts →