IP MarketPlace – Act I


We did our first webinar for IP MarketPlace last week. Because there is such a vibrant roadmap for this rich IP exploration environment, I felt like this was merely the first act of a multi-part production. We kept our event to 30 minutes, which has been a hallmark of all our webinars. We began with a review of what IP MarketPlace is, how it works, and why it’s useful. We then proceeded to a ... » read more

Semiconductors By The Numbers


Five economists presented their observations and predictions on a broad range of issues, from cycles to wafer fab materials to geopolitics and how they will affect semiconductor manufacturing at this month's SEMI's Industry Strategy Symposium. Comparing their different viewpoints would be to take them out of context, because their starting points are so different. To avoid confusion, Semicon... » read more

EDA Up, Japan Continues To Slide


EDA numbers grew 5.7% in the third quarter, propelled by demand for PCB tools in the booming automotive market and IP sales around the globe, according to the latest statistics from the EDA Consortium. The classic EDA tools business was down slightly for the quarter, but PCB tools jumped 9.7%. "There are new capabilities for packaging and wiring for automotive," said Wally Rhines, board ... » read more

Cross-Market Security Issues


The real attractiveness of the Internet of Things is the ability to leap across communications barriers. Roll back just 15 years ago and carmakers offered special car phones as an option on high-end vehicles. Roll back 20 years ago and connectivity was so slow that you could hear your modem connecting with the modem on the other end. The widespread adoption of the cell phone, and the pervas... » read more

Designing For Security


Stacked die may improve performance and lower power, but the use of [getkc id="203" kc_name="through-silicon vias"] (TSVs) could add new security risks. As IC structures go, the vertical component of these chip packages is both a boon and a bust. Three-dimensional geometries allow for much less complexity in design by stacking two-dimensional dies and interconnecting them in the third dimens... » read more

The Other IoT


What happens in the home, in the car, or in the tiny electronic devices people carry around with them or wear on their wrists or implant in their bodies is the focus of marketing by thousands of companies all over the globe. After all, the Internet of Things, in some shape or form, is widely expected to the "next big thing," or at least provide the foundation for many next big things. Far le... » read more

DNA For Cryptography Chips


Counterfeit chips are here to stay. There are all kinds of reasons they should never be used, but certain segments of the chip market have more critical fallout from such chips than others. In most cases counterfeit chip use is unintentional. It simply goes undetected in the vast supply chain, sometimes with life-threatening repercussions. But whether in life-safety or low-end consumer produ... » read more

Worldwide Semiconductor Market Booms


Worldwide sales of semiconductors have been growing steadily. In September, shipments passed 30 billion units—the highest monthly amount ever for that month, and 2014 is predicted to be a record-breaker when the numbers are finally tallied. Figure 1. Transition of worldwide semiconductor shipment prices peak in March, June, September, and December. Source: WSTS data edited by Semicon po... » read more

Market Outlook For 2015


It's always easier to look back at what happened in the past 12 months than to try to piece together a coherent picture for what could happen over the next year. A good prediction relies on lots of data points, and even then it can be wrong. In a global industry, where geopolitical strife or pandemics can send markets tumbling or open up new ones, it's not possible to account for all the unk... » read more

Trouble Spots And Optimism For 2015


Most top executives in the semiconductor industry are bullish about 2015 and even beyond, particularly as the [getkc id="76" comment="Internet of Things"] begins to drive new markets and market mash-ups, and as more semiconductors find their way into markets such as automotive, health-care and manufacturing. But it's not an entirely rosy picture, and top executives point to potential trouble sp... » read more

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