Who Will Regulate Data Exchanges In Chiplets?


Scaling is still important when it comes to logic and low power, but it's no longer the main avenue for improving performance. What used to be a single chip, comprised of various IP blocks and components on a single SoC, is giving way to a heterogeneous collection of chiplets — at least for the big chipmakers and system companies at the leading edge. Chiplets are currently the best solutio... » read more

The Road Ahead For SoCs In Self-Driving Vehicles


Automakers have relied on a human driver behind the wheel for more than a century. With Level 3 systems in place, the road ahead leads to full autonomy and Level 5 self-driving. However, it’s going to be a long climb. Much of the technology that got the industry to Level 3 will not scale in all the needed dimensions — performance, memory usage, interconnect, chip area, and power consumption... » read more

Smarter Systems Through Heterogeneous Integration: Highlights From 3D & Systems Summit


It has taken decades of research and development and strong commitment to various industry programs, but the stars are finally aligning for 3D semiconductor systems. No one could have left the 3D & Systems Summit 2023 – held in late June in Dresden – with any doubt that heterogeneous integration, enabled by increasingly mature 3D packaging technologies, is becoming a key driver of the s... » read more

Challenges Of Heterogeneous Integration


Heterogeneous integration opens the door to an almost unlimited number of features in a single package, but it also adds system-level challenges into a small space filled with a whole spectrum of possible interactions. Mike Kelly, vice president of chiplets/FCBGA integration at Amkor Technology, talks about a variety of issues ranging from uneven aging, warpage, and different mechanical stresse... » read more

Addressing Copper Clad Laminate Processing Distortion Using Overlay Corrections


All great voyages must come to an end. Such is the case with our series on the challenges facing the manufacturing of advanced IC substrates (AICS), the glue holding the heterogeneous integration ship together. In our first blog, we examined how cumulative overlay drift from individual redistribution layers could significantly increase overall trace length, resulting in higher interconnect res... » read more

Heterogeneous Integration As A Path Towards Sustainable Computing, Using Chiplets


A technical paper titled "Towards Sustainable Computing: Assessing the Carbon Footprint of Heterogeneous Systems" was published by researchers at Arizona State University and University of Minnesota. Abstract: "Decades of progress in energy-efficient and low-power design have successfully reduced the operational carbon footprint in the semiconductor industry. However, this has led to an incre... » read more

Impact of CMOS Image Sensors Fabrication Processes On The Quality Of Smartphone Pictures


A technical paper titled “A Review of the Recent Developments in the Fabrication Processes of CMOS Image Sensors for Smartphones” was published by researchers at Texas A&M University. Abstract: "CMOS Image Sensors are experiencing significant growth due to their capabilities to be integrated in smartphones with refined image quality. One of the major contributions to the growth of ima... » read more

Better Choreography Required For Complex Chips


The rapidly growing number of features and options in chip design are forcing engineering teams to ratchet up their planning around who does what, when it gets done, and how various components will interact. In effect, more elements in the design flow need to be choreographed much more precisely. Some steps have to shift further left, while others need to be considered earlier in the plannin... » read more

Heterogeneous Integration — Chiplets


Chiplets are a hot topic in the semiconductor industry, and to many, represent a paradigm change for chip designers and chip consumers alike. While heterogenous chiplets seem to have multiple advantages over traditional monolithic silicon and even homogenous chiplets, they still have not been mass-market deployed. This white paper, published in cooperation with the Global Semiconductor Alliance... » read more

Chip Design CEO Outlook


Semiconductor Engineering sat down with Joseph Sawicki, executive vice president for IC EDA at Siemens Digital Industries Software; John Kibarian, president and CEO of PDF Solutions; John Lee, general manager and vice president of Ansys' Semiconductor Business Unit; Niels Faché, vice president and general manager of PathWave Software Solutions at Keysight; Dean Drako, president and CEO of IC M... » read more

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