More Nodes, New Problems


The rollout of leading-edge process nodes is accelerating rather than slowing down, defying predictions that device scaling would begin to subside due to rising costs and the increased difficulty of developing chips at those nodes. Costs are indeed rising. So are the number of design rules, which reflect skyrocketing complexity stemming from multiple patterning, more devices on a chip, and m... » read more

Multi-Die Packaging And Thermal Superposition Modeling


Packaging density, electrical performance and cost are the primary factors driving electronic package architectures for high-performance server markets. Considerations such as thermal performance and mechanical reliability are equally important but tend to be addressed later in the design cycle. Presented in this paper is a historical view of the packaging trends leading to the current multi-di... » read more

Choosing The Right Interconnect


Efforts to zero in on cheaper advanced packaging approaches that can speed time to market are being sidetracked by a dizzying number of choices. At the center of this frenzy of activity is the [getkc id="36" kc_name="interconnect"]. Current options range from organic, silicon and glass interposers, to bridges that span different die at multiple levels. There also are various fan-out approach... » read more

How To Choose The Right Memory


When it comes to designing memory, there is no such thing as one size fits all. And given the long list of memory types and usage scenarios, system architects must be absolutely clear on the system requirements for their application. A first decision is whether or not to put the memory on the logic die as part of the SoC, or keep it as off-chip memory. "The tradeoff between latency and th... » read more

When AI Goes Awry


The race is on to develop intelligent systems that can drive cars, diagnose and treat complex medical conditions, and even train other machines. The problem is that no one is quite sure how to diagnose latent or less-obvious flaws in these systems—or better yet, to prevent them from occurring in the first place. While machines can do some things very well, it's still up to humans to devise... » read more

Deep Learning Market Forces


Last week, eSilicon participated in a deep learning event at the Computer History Museum – “ASICs Unlock Deep Learning Innovation.” Along with Samsung, Amkor Technology and Northwest Logic, we explored how our respective companies form an ecosystem to develop deep learning chips for the next generation of applications. We also had a keynote presentation on deep learning from Ty Garibay, C... » read more

Applying Machine Learning To Chips


The race is on to figure out how to apply analytics, data mining and machine learning across a wide swath of market segments and applications, and nowhere is this more evident than in semiconductor design and manufacturing. The key with ML/DL/AI is understanding how devices react to real events and stimuli, and how future devices can be optimized. That requires sifting through an expandi... » read more

Merging Verification With Validation


Verification and validation are two important steps in the creations of electronic systems and over time their roles, but how they play together is changing. In fact, today we are seeing a major opportunity for rethinking this aspect of the flow, which could mean the end of them as separate tasks for many of the chips being created. As with many things in this industry, however, squeezing it... » read more

The New Deep Learning Memory Architectures You Should Know About


Artificial intelligence (AI) has come a long way. While our parents grew up with the dream to one day roam with robots, today we are interviewing Sophia, a citizen of Saudi Arabia, who is also the first humanoid robot to be granted a citizenship in any country. Deep learning, a brain-inspired discipline of AI has been around for a long time but has only recently taken off due to abundant data, ... » read more

AI: The Next Big Thing


The next big thing isn't actually a thing. It's a set of finely tuned statistical models. But developing, optimizing and utilizing those models, which collectively fit under the umbrella of artificial intelligence, will require some of the most advanced semiconductors ever developed. The demand for artificial intelligence is almost ubiquitous. As with all "next big things," it is a horizonta... » read more

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