EDA’s Role Grows For Preventing And Identifying Failures


The front end of design is becoming more tightly integrated with the back end of manufacturing, driven by the rising cost and impact of failures in advanced chips and critical applications. Ironically, the starting point for this shift is failure analysis (FA), which typically happens when a device fails to yield, or worse, when it is returned due to some problem. In production, that leads t... » read more

How To Answer Five Common Questions About Power Module Current Density


Power module current density is an important factor in determining the efficiency and performance of power modules. This article answers five common questions about power module current density so you can make informed decisions when designing a power module for your application. 1. How many wire bonds are required? Generally, a higher current density requires an increased number of w... » read more

Power Modules: A Four-Dimensional Design Challenge Calls For A Holistic Design And Verification Approach


A power module is a high-power switching circuit used in applications for electric vehicles, renewable energy, photovoltaics, wind power, and much more. Switching-element IGBTs and MOSFETs are used in these modules. This paper discusses different technologies and the associated design challenges to achieve complex power module requirements like high voltage resistivity up to 1700 V, high curren... » read more

Blog Review: June 7


Synopsys' Kenneth Larsen and Powerchip's S.Z. Chang explore wafer-on-wafer (WoW) and chip-on-wafer (CoW), 3D hybrid bonding schemes that can be used to stack memory on logic with shorter signal transmission distance at no wasted power and more interconnect and bandwidth density. In a podcast, Siemens' Conor Peick, Nand Kochhar, and Mark Sampson chat about how companies can address growing co... » read more

From Lab To Fab: Increasing Pressure To Fuse IC Processes


Test, metrology, and inspection are essential for both the lab and the fab, but fusing them together so that data created in one is easily transferred to the other is a massive challenge. The chip industry has been striving to bridge these separate worlds for years, but the economics, speed, and complexity of change require a new approach. The never-ending push toward smaller, better-defined... » read more

Journey From Cell-Aware To Device-Aware Testing Begins


Early results of using device-aware testing on alternative memories show expanded test coverage, but this is just the start. Once the semiconductor industry realized that it was suffering from device failures even when test programs achieved 100% fault coverage, it went about addressing this disconnect between the way defects manifest themselves inside devices and the commonly used fault mod... » read more

Welcome To EDA 4.0 And The AI-Driven Revolution


By Dan Yu, Harry Foster, and Tom Fitzpatrick Welcome to the era of EDA 4.0, where we are witnessing a revolutionary transformation in electronic design automation driven by the power of artificial intelligence. The history of EDA can be delineated into distinct periods marked by significant technological advancements that have propelled faster design iterations, improved productivity, and fu... » read more

Developing An Unbreakable Cybersecurity System


Cyberattacks are increasing in frequency and sophistication, and the impact of those attacks is increasing almost exponentially as the amount and value of data continues to grow. Cybersecurity Ventures projected the annual cost of cybercrime will grow from $8 trillion in 2023 to $210.5 trillion by 2025, with no end in sight. On the target list are a slew of industrial and commercial segments... » read more

Security Becomes Much Bigger Issue For AI/ML Chips, Tools


Security is becoming a bigger issue in AI and machine learning chips, in part because the chip industry is racing just to get new devices working, and in part because it's difficult to secure a new technology that is expected to adapt over time. And unlike in the past, when tools and methodologies were relatively fixed, nearly everything is in motion. Algorithms are being changed, EDA tools ... » read more

How Many Sensors For Autonomous Driving?


With the cost of sensors ranging from $15 to $1,000, carmakers are beginning to question how many sensors are needed for vehicles to be fully autonomous at least part of the time. Those sensors are used to collect data about the surrounding environment, and they include image, lidar, radar, ultrasonic, and thermal sensors. One type of sensor is not sufficient, because each has its limitation... » read more

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