Holistic Power Reduction


The power consumption of a device is influenced by every stage of the design, development, and implementation process, but identifying opportunities to save power no longer can be just about making hardware more efficient. Tools and methodologies are in place for most of the power-saving opportunities, from RTL down through implementation, and portions of the semiconductor industry already a... » read more

Circuit Design For Industry 4.0


By Björn Zeugmann and Olaf Enge-Rosenblatt The digitalization of industry is progressing in leaps and bounds, albeit not at the same speed everywhere. In many industries, processes can be digitalized well to very well — for example, because electronic control systems can be retrofitted from analog to digital relatively easily. In some cases, new industries emerge only because processes ha... » read more

Bespoke Silicon Rattles Chip Design Ecosystem


Bespoke silicon developers are shaking up relationships, priorities, and methodologies across the semiconductor industry, creating demand for skills that cross traditional boundaries, and driving new business models that leverage these enormous investments. Bespoke silicon designers today are a rare breed, capable of understanding the unique requirements of a specific domain, as well as a gr... » read more

Designing For Thermal


Heat has emerged as a major concern for semiconductors in every form factor, from digital watches to data centers, and it is becoming more of a problem at advanced nodes and in advanced packages where that heat is especially difficult to dissipate. Temperatures at the base of finFETs and GAA FETs can differ from those at the top of the transistor structures. They also can vary depending on h... » read more

Bespoke Silicon Redefines Custom ASICs


Semiconductor Engineering sat down to discuss bespoke silicon and what's driving that customization with Kam Kittrell, vice president of product management in the Digital & Signoff group at Cadence; Rupert Baines, chief marketing officer at Codasip; Kevin McDermott, vice president of marketing at Imperas; Mo Faisal, CEO of Movellus; Ankur Gupta, vice president and general manager of Siemens... » read more