Impact of Finite Interconnect Impedance Including Spatial and Domain Comparison of PDN Characterization


Abstract Over the past few decades, a lot of details have been worked out in power distribution network design, simulation and measurement. We have well-established PDN design procedures both in the frequency and time domains, we have simulation tools that can analyze the physical structure from DC to very high frequencies, including spatial variations of the behavior, and we also have fre... » read more

Delivering On Power During HPC Test


The industry’s insatiable need for power in high-performance computing (HPC) is creating problems for test cells, which need to deliver very high currents at very consistent voltage levels through the power delivery network (PDN). In response, ATE, wafer probe, and contactor vendors are introducing some innovative approaches and test procedures that can ensure robust power delivery to ATE pro... » read more

Unlocking PPA Benefits of Backside Routing


The power delivery network (PDN) is a critical part of any modern semiconductor device. Even with advanced power-saving technologies, today’s chips are hungry for power. Traditionally, power is distributed through metal layers on the same side of the substrate as the signal metal layers. This creates competition for the available layers and pushes the limits of fabrication technology to add m... » read more

Distributed Batteries Within a Heterogeneous 3D IC


A new technical paper titled "On-Chip Batteries as Distributed Energy Sources in Heterogeneous 2.5D/3D Integrated Circuits" was published by researchers at University of Florida (Gainesville) and Brookhaven National Lab. Abstract "Energy efficiency in digital systems faces challenges due to the constraints imposed by small-scale transistors. Moreover, the growing demand for portable consum... » read more

Distributed Batteries Within A Heterogeneous 3D IC To Optimize Performance


A technical paper titled “On-Chip Batteries as Distributed Energy Sources in Heterogeneous 2.5D/3D Integrated Circuits” was published by researchers at University of Florida and Brookhaven National Laboratory. Abstract: "Energy efficiency in digital systems faces challenges due to the constraints imposed by small-scale transistors. Moreover, the growing demand for portable consumer electr... » read more

Stitching Together A Multi-Layer PCB PDN


A printed circuit board (PCB) is much like a complicated city, with a myriad of intertwined pathways for data signals and power. To meet the electric current needs of modern, high-powered integrated circuits (ICs), the power distribution network (PDN) usually consists of wide power planes on multiple layers to provide a low-resistance path for power delivery. These planes are stitched together ... » read more

IEDM: Backside Power Delivery


One part of the short course that I attended at IEDM in December was about backside power delivery networks. It was presented by Gaspard Hiblot of imec and titled "Process Architectures Changes to Improve Power Delivery." The presentation is co-credited with Geert Hellings and Julien Ryckaert. I should preface this post with the fact that this presentation was 80 slides long and so I will only... » read more

Power Now First-Order Concern In More Markets


Concerns about energy and power efficiency are becoming as important as performance in markets where traditionally there has been a significant gap, setting the stage for significant shifts in both chip architectures and in how those ICs are designed in the first place. This shift can be seen in a growing number of applications and vertical segments. It includes mobile devices, where batteri... » read more

Batteries Take Center Stage


For any mobile electronic device, the biggest limiting factors are the size, age, type, and utilization of the batteries. Battery technology is improving on multiple fronts. The batteries themselves are becoming more efficient. They are storing more energy per unit of area, and work is underway to provide faster charging and to increase the percentage of that energy that can be used, as well... » read more

3D IC: Opportunities, Challenges, And Solutions


Nearly every big city reaches a point in its evolution when it runs out of open space and starts building vertically. This enables far more apartments, offices and people per square mile, while avoiding the increased infrastructure costs of suburban sprawl. Semiconductors are evolving in much the same way. Moore’s Law is slowing, and adoption of new advanced technology nodes is slowing as wel... » read more

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