Blog Review: June 18


Synopsys’ John Koeter and other industry experts discuss whether high-bandwidth memory should follow established standards for broad compatibility and scalability or be customized to address specific use case requirements and time-to-market targets. In a podcast, Siemens’ Conor Peick, Dale Tutt, and Mike Ellow chat about how progress in 3D-IC development, thermal management, and the indu... » read more

A Guide To SDC-Based Timing Intent Verification With Questa One


As semiconductor designs continue to grow in complexity and timing margins become increasingly constrained, achieving predictable timing closure has evolved from a best practice into a critical requirement for first-pass silicon success. At the heart of this process lies the timing constraint file, i.e., the SDC (Synopsys Design Constraints), which defines the intended timing behavior of the de... » read more

Chip Industry Week in Review


The Chinese Academy of Sciences unveiled a fully automated processor chip design system, claiming the potential to accelerate semiconductor development and replace human programmers. Micron Technology plans to expand its U.S. investments to approximately $150 billion in domestic memory manufacturing and $50 billion in R&D, which is $30 billion higher than previously reported. AMD laun... » read more

Smarter, Faster, Leaner: Rethinking Verification For The Modern Era


Verification isn’t just another step in the semiconductor design process—it’s increasingly the step that defines whether teams hit their schedules or miss the mark. With skyrocketing design complexity, accelerated development timelines, and persistent engineering shortages, the industry is feeling the pressure. Traditional methods aren’t keeping pace. At Siemens, we’ve been rethink... » read more

Multi-Die Assemblies Complicate Parasitic Extraction


The shift from planar designs to multi-die assemblies with complex interconnects is transforming what had become almost an afterthought in the design process into a first-order challenge. Parasitics include things like inductance, capacitance, and resistance, which have become more problematic at advanced nodes due to increasing logic density, thinner interconnects and insulators, and a spik... » read more

In-System/In-Field Testing Using High-Quality Deterministic Test Patterns


The amount of electronic content in passenger cars is growing rapidly, primarily due to the integration of advanced safety features. The shift towards fully autonomous vehicles, which must comply with stringent safety standards, will further increase the number of electronic components required. Testing efforts must be of exceptional quality. The target test time is often limited to less than 1... » read more

Challenges In Using Sub-7nm ICs In Automotive


The automotive industry is producing vehicles with increasing levels of real-time decision-making, enabled by thousands of ICs, sensors, and multi-chip packages, but making sure these systems work flawlessly throughout their expected lifetimes is a growing challenge. Automotive chips traditionally were developed at mature process nodes in five- to seven-year cycles, but much has changed over... » read more

Rethinking Chip Reliability For Harsh Conditions


As semiconductors push into environments once considered untenable, reliability expectations are being redefined. From the vacuum of space and the inside of jet engines to deep industrial automation and electrified drivetrains, chips now must endure extreme temperature swings, corrosive atmospheres, mechanical vibration, radiation, and unpredictable power cycles, all while delivering increasing... » read more

Chip Industry Week in Review


Qualcomm announced plans to buy Alphawave Semi for ~$2.4 billion in a deal expected to close in Q1 2026. Qualcomm plans to leverage Alphawave Semi's connectivity products, including chiplets, to develop high-performance, low-power solutions for AI inferencing and customized CPUs in data centers. Qualcomm's traditional targets were mobile phones and edge computing. [Updated 6/9.] Global semic... » read more

Accelerated Assurance For Functional Safety


Today’s electronic systems face unprecedented challenges in ensuring functional safety. As autonomous vehicles navigate our streets, medical devices sustain lives, and industrial automation systems control critical processes, the need for robust safety processes and supporting automation has never been more crucial. The complexity of modern electronic systems, coupled with stringent safety st... » read more

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