Wireless Security Issues Grow

By Ernest Worthman - 01 May, 2014 - Comments: 0

The Internet, as we know it today, is still mostly an information highway. However, even as we speak, more and more once autonomous, physical objects are becoming intelligent. That includes the obvious ones, such as today’s smart communications devices, to the not so evident ones, such as pacemakers, vehicles, audio/video, and environmental sensors. There are microscopic cameras that are swal... » read more

Blog Review: April 30

By Ed Sperling - 30 Apr, 2014 - Comments: 0

Applied Materials’ Jeremy Read points to a looming problem for the Internet of Things—legacy fabs that will require software upgrades and advanced process control. Also needed: Sensors attached to thousands of machines for predictive maintenance. Foundries are now ready for production finFETs. Cadence's Richard Goering captures the buzz at last week’s TSMC Tech Symposium, where the ro... » read more

RF Periodic Stability Analysis

By Various Writers - 09 Apr, 2014 - Comments: 0

The PSTB (periodic stability) analysis feature in Cadence Spectre RF Simulation Option performs stability analysis for circuits with periodically time-varying operating points. PSTB is the periodic equivalent of linear stability (STB) analysis in that it calculates the small-signal loop gain, gain margin, and phase margin around a periodic operating point. PSTB is useful in applications such as... » read more

Micro-Power Energy Harvesting

By Ernest Worthman - 07 Apr, 2014 - Comments: 3

Since the beginning of the human race’s self-awareness, people have strived to harness the planet’s free energy sources; wind, solar, thermal and hydro. On a macro scale, man’s dreams have come to fruition. The next frontier is capturing energy on a micro scale. On the macro front, there are massive corridors of energy powered by wind and solar developments, which generate megawatts of... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: Feb. 4

By Mark LaPedus - 04 Feb, 2014 - Comments: 0

Secrets of mass variation The General Conference on Weights and Measures will soon approve a plan to redefine the kilogram and other measurement units. The new definition for the kilogram will be based on the fixed numerical values of Planck’s constant (h). Supposedly, the new definition will solve the current problem. The kilogram is the only SI unit that is still described as an artif... » read more

Rapid Distortion Analysis For Intercept Point Calculations

By Various Writers - 29 Jan, 2014 - Comments: 0

Distortion effects have an important impact on the performance of RF circuits, including mixers, low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) and power amplifiers (PAs). At high frequencies, particularly with narrowband circuits, it is common to characterize the distortion produced by circuit nonlinearities in terms of an intercept point (IPn). Under small signal input conditions, from where intercept points ar... » read more

The Week In Review: Manufacturing & Design

By Mark LaPedus - 06 Dec, 2013 - Comments: 0

A new study reveals that a majority of Americans are making some costly miscalculations regarding the performance of their existing PCs. The survey reveals that Americans lack financial savvy when faced with slow computers. Germany’s Merck KGaA, a pharmaceutical, chemical and life science company, announced an agreement with AZ Electronic Materials, under which Merck KGaA would acquire AZ.... » read more

Over 65% Smartphone RF Switches SOI, Says Yole; Power Amps Next

By Various Writers - 14 Aug, 2013 - Comments: 0

By Adele Hars The industry research firm Yole Développement says that more than 65 percent of substrates used in fabricating switches for handsets are SOI-based. This is a high-growth part of the market, putting up double-digit increases. Like a standard SOI wafer, an RF SOI substrate has an active (“top”) layer on which CMOS transistors are built, with an isolating (“BOx”) ... » read more

VLSI Kyoto – The SOI Papers

By Various Writers - 19 Jun, 2013 - Comments: 0

By Adele Hars There were some breakthrough FD-SOI and other excellent SOI-based papers that came out of the 2013 Symposia on VLSI Technology and Circuits in Kyoto (June 10-14, 2013). By way of explanation, VSLI comprises two symposia: one on Technology; one on Circuits. However, papers that are relevant to both were presented in “Jumbo Joint Focus” sessions. The papers should all b... » read more

CMOS And SOI Invade RF Front End

By Mark LaPedus - 18 Apr, 2013 - Comments: 0

By Mark LaPedus The next-generation 4G wireless standard known as long-term evolution (LTE) presents some new and difficult design choices for OEMs. One of the more difficult choices involves the less glamorous, but arguably the most critical part in a handset—the radio-frequency (RF) front-end. Typically, the RF front-end often comes in a module and includes various key components, such ... » 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

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