What’s Missing In 2.5D EDA Tools

By Brian Bailey - 28 Mar, 2024 - Comments: 0

Gaps in EDA tool chains for 2.5D designs are limiting the adoption of this advanced packaging approach, which so far has been largely confined to high-performance computing. But as the rest of the chip industry begins migrating toward advanced packaging and chiplets, the EDA industry is starting to change direction. There are learning periods with all new technologies, and 2.5D advanced pack... » read more

Model Variation And Its Impact On Cell Characterization

By Umang Doshi - 05 Nov, 2020 - Comments: 0

EDA (Electronic Design Automation) cell characterization tools have been used extensively to generate models for timing, power and noise at a rapidly growing number of process corners. Today, model variation has become a critical component of cell characterization. Variation can impact circuit timing due to process, voltage, and temperature changes and can lead to timing violations, resulting i... » read more

Timing Library LVF Validation For Production Design Flows

By WeiLii Tan - 27 Feb, 2020 - Comments: 3

Variation modeling has evolved over the past several years from a single derating factor that represents on-chip variation (OCV), to Liberty Variation Format (LVF), today’s leading standard format that encapsulates variation information in timing libraries (.libs). LVF data is considered a requirement for advanced process nodes 22nm and below. At the smallest process nodes such as 7nm and ... » read more

Near-Threshold Issues Deepen

By Ann Mutschler - 14 Jun, 2018 - Comments: 0

Complex issues stemming from near-threshold computing, where the operating voltage and threshold voltage are very close together, are becoming more common at each new node. In fact, there are reports that the top five mobile chip companies, all with chips at 10/7nm, have had performance failures traced back to process variation and timing issues. Once a rather esoteric design technique, near... » read more

Addressing Process Variation And Reducing Timing Pessimism At 16nm And Below

By Cadence - 13 Jul, 2016 - Comments: 0

At 16nm and below, on-chip variation (OCV) becomes a critically important issue. Increasing process variation makes a larger impact on timing, which becomes more pronounced in low-power designs with ultra-low voltage operating conditions. In this paper, we will discuss how a new methodology involving more accurate library characterization and variation modeling can reduce timing margins in libr... » read more

Experts At The Table: The Growing Signoff Headache

By Ed Sperling - 09 May, 2013 - Comments: 0

By Ed Sperling Low-Power/High-Performance Engineering sat down to discuss signoff issues with Rob Aitken, an ARM fellow; Sumbal Rafiq, director of engineering at Applied Micro; Ruben Molina, product marketing director for timing signoff at Cadence; Carey Robertson, director of product marketing for Calibre extraction at Mentor Graphics; and Robert Hoogenstryd, senior director of marketing for ... » read more

Knowledge Centers
Entities, people and technologies explored

Shift Left Is The Tip Of The Iceberg

A transformative change is underway for semiconductor design and EDA. New languages, models, and abstractions will need to be created.

by Brian Bailey

Partitioning In The Chiplet Era

Understanding how chiplets interact under different workloads is critical to ensuring signal integrity and optimal performance in heterogeneous designs.

by Ann Mutschler

3.5D: The Great Compromise

Pros and cons of a middle-ground chiplet assembly that combines 2.5D and 3D-IC.

by Ed Sperling

AI’s Role In Chip Design Widens, Drawing In New Startups

Focus is on letting engineers do much more with the same or fewer resources — and less drudgery.

by Karen Heyman

Key Technologies To Extend EUV To 14 Angstroms

Alongside high-NA EUV will be better-performing photoresists, reduced roughness using passivation and etch, and lateral etching to reduce tip-to-tip dimensions.

by Laura Peters

Memory Fundamentals For Engineers

eBook: Nearly everything you need to know about memory, including detailed explanations of the different types of memory; how and where these are used today; what's changing, which memories are successful and which ones might be in the future; and the limitations of each memory type.

by The SE Staff

What Comes After HBM For Chiplets

The standard for high-bandwidth memory limits design freedom at many levels, but that is required for interoperability. What freedoms can be taken from other functions to make chiplets possible?

by Brian Bailey

Why Small Fab And Assembly Houses Are Thriving

Megafabs churning out the most advanced processors are not the only game in town.

by Bryon Moyer