Predicting Warpage in Different Types of IC Stacks At Early Stage Of Package Design


A new technical paper titled "Warpage Study by Employing an Advanced Simulation Methodology for Assessing Chip Package Interaction Effects" was published by researchers at Siemens EDA, D2S, and Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CEA, Leti. Abstract: "A physics-based multi-scale simulation methodology that analyses die stress variations generated by package fabrication is employed for warpage study. The ... » read more

Backside Power Delivery Adds New Thermal Concerns


As the semiconductor industry gears up for backside power delivery at the 2nm node, implementation of the technology requires a re-thinking of established design practices. While some EDA tools are already qualified, designers must acquaint themselves with new issues, including making place-and-route more thermal-aware and how to manage heat dissipation with less shielding and thinner substr... » read more

Can Data Centers Afford To Turn Up The Heat?


Typically, when we discuss digital twin software for data centers, we highlight how engineers can use data center software to model complex thermals using physics-based simulation and find effective ways to cool IT equipment. However, there are compelling efficiency and cost-saving reasons for data center operators to actively seek to run their data centers hotter. But how can this be done wit... » read more

Research Bits: Jan. 16


3D stacking of 2D materials Researchers from Penn State University demonstrated monolithic 3D integration with 2D transistors made from 2D semiconductors called transition metal dichalcogenides. The 2D materials have unique electronic and optical properties, including sensitivity to light, making them ideal for use as sensors. “One challenge is the process temperature ceiling of 450 degre... » read more

Multi-Chiplet Marvels: Exploring Chip-Centric Thermal Analysis


The relationship between power consumption and thermal dynamics for chips is intricate. As power is consumed during the operation of a chip, it results in the generation of heat. This heat may dissipate from the device, metal routing, or the die itself, leading to increased temperatures on the chip. The dissipation process perpetually expends redundant energy, thereby compromising on the overal... » read more

Decoding GDS To Thermal Model Conversion


Driven by Moore’s Law and modern, ubiquitous computation power demand, the market will continue to demand higher chip performance. Therefore, modern chips with ever-higher power densities present critical thermal challenges. With the ever-shrinking design margins, designers must manage their thermal budget at every stage of the design, from chip to system. Now, let us shift left and start ... » read more

Help, 3D-IC Is Stuck In A Country Song


Every time I focus on three-dimensional (3D) integrated circuit (IC) design, I start hearing the Luke Bryan song “Rain Makes Corn, Corn Makes Whiskey.” Not because I need a strong drink to work with 3D-IC designs, but because there is a similar, although slightly more complicated, series of cause and effect issues that impact 3D-ICs. Pushing electrons through very thin metal wires and switc... » read more

Why Chiplets Don’t Work For All Designs


Experts at the Table: Semiconductor Engineering sat down to discuss use cases and challenges for commercial chiplets with Saif Alam, vice president of engineering at Movellus; Tony Mastroianni, advanced packaging solutions director at Siemens Digital Industries Software; Mark Kuemerle, vice president of technology at Marvell; and Craig Bishop, CTO at Deca Technologies. What follows are excerpts... » read more

Research Bits: September 19


Measuring lithography plasma sources Researchers from the University of Twente developed a tool that can measure the size of a plasma source and the color of the light it emits simultaneously, which they say could be used to improve lithography machines. “Traditionally, we could only look at the amount of light produced, but to further improve the chipmaking process, we also want to study... » read more

No Hot Products


While marketers strive to launch the next “hot” product, engineers struggle to prevent literally hot products! A recent breakthrough in thermal modeling comes just in time as electronic component manufacturers and their OEM customers increasingly battle thermal design issues. Analog electronic component manufacturers have traditionally provided models in SPICE format so customers can sim... » read more

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