Blog Review: Oct. 29

By Ed Sperling - 29 Oct, 2014 - Comments: 0

Ansys' Bill Vandermark uncovers the top engineering articles for the week. Check out the tractor beam in Australia that can push and pull objects and Naim's soundbar that may act like a gateway drug to bankruptcy. It may sound counterintuitive, but ARM's Jakub Lamik draws a direct link between bandwidth consumption and power consumption and explains that's the case. Samsung's Farhad Tab... » read more

2.5D Timetable Coming Into Focus

By Ed Sperling - 23 Oct, 2014 - Comments: 0

After years of empty promises, the timetable for [getkc id="82" kc_name="2.5D"] is coming into better focus. Large and midsize chipmakers are behind it, real silicon is being developed, and contracts are being signed. That doesn't mean all of the pieces are in place or that market uptake is at the neck of the hockey stick. And it certainly doesn't mean the semiconductor industry is going to ... » read more

Why Is My Device Better Than Yours?

By Ed Sperling - 23 Oct, 2014 - Comments: 0

Differentiation is becoming a big problem in the semiconductor industry with far-reaching implications that extend well beyond just chips. The debate over the future of [getkc id="74" comment="Moore's Law"] is well known, but it's just one element in a growing list that will make it much harder for chip companies, IP vendors and even software developers to stand out from the pack. And withou... » read more

A New Reuse Paradigm To Take 2.5D Packaging Technology Mainstream

By Jeff Scott - 23 Oct, 2014 - Comments: 0

With all of the recent product implementations and demonstrations of the technical viability of 2.5D technology, there is a lot of excitement around its potential. However, as with any new technology, there are concerns with cost and risk that limit mainstream adoption. Cost reduction and risk mitigation require some level of volume production, and therein lies a classic Catch-22. Is there a wa... » read more

The Week In Review: Design

By Ed Sperling - 03 Oct, 2014 - Comments: 0

IP ARM introduced a new software platform and a free operating system aimed at IoT development. The OS incorporates security, communication and device management features for improved energy efficiency. The device server simplifies the connection and management of devices, incorporating security and improving efficiency. Cadence rolled out a broad IP portfolio for TSMC's 16nm platform, and ... » read more

More Than Moore

By Ed Sperling - 01 Oct, 2014 - Comments: 0

Semiconductor Engineering sat down to discuss the value of feature shrinks and what comes next with Steve Eplett, design technology and automation manager at [getentity id="22664" e_name="Open-Silicon"]; Patrick Soheili, vice president and general manager of IP Solutions at [getentity id="22242" e_name="eSilicon"]; Brandon Wang, engineering group director at [getentity id="22032" e_name="Cadenc... » read more

Blog Review: Oct. 1

By Ed Sperling - 01 Oct, 2014 - Comments: 0

Cadence's Richard Goering writes about a pair of IEEE working groups that are focused on standardizing ways to lower power of software and firmware. The importance of this effort is huge. Mentor's J. VanDomelen looks at the use of 3D printers in outer space. This is a new chapter in manufacturing custom parts in extreme environments. Synopsys' Mick Posner gets an unexpected answer to a ro... » read more

The Real Numbers: Redefining NRE

By Ed Sperling - 26 Sep, 2014 - Comments: 0

Developing ICs at the most advanced nodes is getting more expensive, but exactly how much more expensive is the subject of debate across the semiconductor industry. There are a number of reasons for this discrepancy. Among them: As design flows shift from serial to parallel, it's hard to determine which groups within companies should be saddled with different portions of the bill. The re... » read more

Evaluation Platforms Key To Complex IP Integration

By Swamy Irrinki - 25 Sep, 2014 - Comments: 0

Just because a chip is complex to build doesn’t mean it has to take a long time. Runaway complexity in SoC and ASIC design is forcing chip companies to consider different methodologies and approaches that could actually simplify and speed up the whole process. The first step in this process was commercial IP, and its growing popularity attests to the fact that chipmakers are looking for... » read more

Time To Market Concerns Worsen

By Ed Sperling - 25 Sep, 2014 - Comments: 1

Time to market has always been an issue for chipmakers in highly competitive sectors, but as complexity of chips continues to grow at advanced nodes, and as markets shift increasingly toward consumer electronics, it has jumped to the No. 1 concern. Interviews with engineers at multiple levels inside of some of the largest and midsize chipmakers, conducted by Semiconductor Engineering over th... » read more

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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

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

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

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

tag: Open-Silicon