The biggest surprise embedded in the Intel 22nm SoC disclosure is that they still do NOT use Double Patterning which is a big fat hairy deal if you are serious about the SoC foundry business. The other NOT so surprising thing I noticed in reviewing the blogosphere response is that the industry term FinFET was dominant while the Intel… Read More
Author: Daniel Nenni
A Brief History of Berkeley Design Automation
Analog, mixed-signal, RF, and custom digital circuitry implemented in GHz nanometer CMOS introduce a new class of design and verification challenges that traditional transistor‑level simulators cannot adequately address. Berkeley Design Automation, Inc., (BDA) was founded in 2003 by Amit Mehrotra and Amit Narayan,… Read More
TSMC 28nm and 20nm Update Q4 2012
The big news in Taiwan last week was another increase in TSMC capital expenditures to $9B in 2013. That number could grow however. Last year TSMC CAPEX was set at $6B and ended up at $8.3B due to rapid 28nm capacity expansion and an accelerated 20nm program. 2013 will be all about FinFETs and manufacturing Apple SoCs so $9B may not cover… Read More
A Brief History of Synopsys
One of the largest software companies in the world, Synopsys is a market and technology leader in the development and sale of electronic design automation (EDA) tools and semiconductor intellectual property (IP). Synopsys is also a strong supporter of local education through the Synopsys Outreach Foundation. Each year in multiple… Read More
HP Loses Its Autonomy!
HP buys Autonomy for $11B then does an $8.8B writedown?!?!?! Was HP swindled by Autonomy? As a long time HP customer I’m outraged by this behavior. Not just the over priced acquisition but the behavior of HP on a whole! Even today 4 of the 6 laptops in my house are HP as are my printers. How am I supposed to buy HP products with a straight … Read More
Apple Will NOT Manufacture SoCs at Intel
The internet is a funny place where rumors are true and truths are rumors. The latest one has Apple using Intel as a foundry. This is fuel for the rivalry between SemiWiki blogger Ed McKernan and me. Ed says Apple will use Intel, I say Apple will use TSMC, we have a very expensive dinner riding on this one.
A Brief History of the Fabless Semiconductor Ecosystem
Clearly the fabless semiconductor ecosystem is driving the semiconductor industry and is responsible for both the majority of the innovation and the sharp decline in consumer electronics costs we have experienced. By definition, a fabless semiconductor company does not have to spend the time and money on manufacturing related… Read More
Tanner EDA Tops 1,200 Active Customers!
It is always nice to see when an EDA company grows organically, versus inorganically by acquiring friends and foes. It is also nice to see when an EDA company invests in the fabless semiconductor ecosystem because, as we know, we are all in this together.
Tanner EDA celebrated its 25th anniversary this year by adding 149 new customers… Read More
Is The Fabless Semiconductor Ecosystem at Risk?
Ever since the failed Intel PR stunt where Mark Bohr suggested that the fabless semiconductor ecosystem was collapsing I have been researching and writing about it. The results will be a book co-authored by Paul McLellan. You may have noticed the “Brief History of” blogs on SemiWiki which basically outline the book. If not, start… Read More
Analog FastSPICE AMS — Simple, Fast, nm-Accurate Mixed-Signal Verification
Verification and AMS are top search terms on SemiWiki so clearly designers have a pressing need for fast and accurate verification of today’s mixed-signal SoCs that include massive digital blocks and precision analog/RF circuits. They need simulation performance to verify the mixed-signal functionality, and they need nanometer… Read More








Intel to Compete with Broadcom and Marvell in the Lucrative ASIC Business