The biggest news out of the TSMC Symposium last week was the 20nm update. Lots of debate and speculation, just why is TSMC releasing one version of 20nm (20nm SoC) versus multiple versions like in 40nm (LP, G, LPG) and 28nm (HP, HPM, HPL, LP)? Here are my thoughts, I would also be interested in your feedback in the comment section. This… Read More
Author: Daniel Nenni
UMC Wins Qualcomm 28nm Second Source Contract!
This is common knowledge in Taiwan but apparently the guys over at SemiAccurate.com did not get the memo. I hear a name change is in the works: www.RarelyAccurate.com. Remember, these are the same clairvoyants who said TSMC shut down 28nm which as we now know is absolutely false. The QCOM elite stay at the Hsinchu Royal Hotel which… Read More
Flexible ASIC Strategy!
During my last Taiwan trip I also spent time with Global Unichip. Clearly, in order for the semiconductor industry to thrive we must enable design starts. With the rising costs and complexity of semiconductor design and manufacturing this is a much greater challenge which is why I’m so interested in GUC, for the greater good of the… Read More
The Truth of TSMC 28nm Yield!
As I write this I sit heavyhearted in the EVA executive lounge returning from my 69[SUP]th[/SUP] trip to Taiwan. I go every month or so, you do the math. This trip was very disappointing as I can now confirm that just about everything you have read about TSMC 28nm yield is absolutely MANURE!… Read More
Google Glasses = Darknet!
Google Project Glasses and Augmented Reality will be the tragic end to the world as we once knew it. As we become more and more dependent on mobile internet devices we become less and less independent in life. Consider how much of your critical personal and professional information (digital capital) is stored via the internet and… Read More
Synopsys Users Group 2012 Keynote: Dr Chenming Hu and Transistors in the Third Dimension!
It was an honor to see DR. Chenming Huspeak and to learn more about FinFets, a technology he has championed since 1999. Chenming is considered an expert on the subject and is currently a TSMC Distinguished Professor of Microelectronics at University of California, Berkeley. Prior to that he was the Chief Technology Officer of TSMC.… Read More
GSA Silicon Summit at the Computer History Museum!
The first GSA Silicon Summit will address the complexity, availability and time-to-market challenges that the industry must overcome to enable low power, cost effective solutions to keep pace with Moore’s Law. With never ending customer demand of better, faster and cheaper, semiconductor manufacturers must continually… Read More
DAC 2012 Technical Program Highlights
The technical program for DAC 2012 has an exceptional quality of technical papers, panels, special sessions, WACI (Wild and Crazy Ideas), WIP (Work In Progress), full day tutorials and user-track. The program is tailored for researchers and developers focused on electronic design automation (EDA) and embedded systems and … Read More
Intel will NOT build ARM chips!
As I mentioned in my previous blog “NVIDIA Claims TSMC 20nm will not Scale?” Jen-Hsun Huang is a very entertaining guy. I always listen to the NVIDIA conference calls because you never know what he will say next. Clearly he is a smart guy so you have to ask yourself why all the rhetoric?
In the Forbes article NVIDIA: Intel should let us… Read More
Synopsys Users Group Silicon Valley 2012 Keynote: ARM
Keynote #2 at SNUG 2012 was John Cornish, VP Marketing at ARM. Why they sent a marketing person to speak in front of 2,000+ engineers I do not know. To top that, next time they should send a sales person and do a real dog and pony show. To find out more about John I checked his LinkedIn profile which was bare. So enough about John, lets hit … Read More
Flynn Was Right: How a 2003 Warning Foretold Today’s Architectural Pivot