TSMC Versus Intel: The Race to Semiconductors in 3D!

TSMC Versus Intel: The Race to Semiconductors in 3D!
by Daniel Nenni on 06-26-2011 at 4:00 pm

While Intel is doing victory laps in the race to a 3D transistor (FinFet) @ 22nm, TSMC is in production with 3D IC technology. A 3D IC is a chip in which two or more layers of active electronic components are integrated both vertically and horizontally into a single circuit. The question is which 3D race is more important to the semiconductor… Read More


Semiconductor IP State of the Union

Semiconductor IP State of the Union
by Daniel Nenni on 06-19-2011 at 10:15 am

After the mega IP acquisitions last year by Cadence (Denali) and Synopsys (Virage) a lot of people are wondering what is next for the commercial Semiconductor IP market. Let me offer my opinion as a person who works closely with foundries and their top customers and the opinion of Dr. Eric Esteve, an expert on interface IP.

The commercial… Read More


GlobalFoundries Production-Ready @ 28nm in Multiple Locations!

GlobalFoundries Production-Ready @ 28nm in Multiple Locations!
by Daniel Nenni on 06-15-2011 at 11:02 am

GLOBALFOUNDRIES showed off its 28nm design ecosystem at #48DAC last week in San Diego. The company featured a full design ecosystem for its 28nm High-k Metal Gate (HKMG) technology, including silicon-validated flows, process design kits (PDKs), design-for-manufacturing (DFM), and intellectual property (IP) in partnership… Read More


A Birds-Eye Overview of DRC+

A Birds-Eye Overview of DRC+
by Daniel Nenni on 06-13-2011 at 10:57 pm

The GlobalFoundries DRC+ platform is one of the most innovative DFM technologies and was well represented at #48DAC. In case you missed it, here is a reprint of a DRC+ overview from GFI just prior to #48DAC:

DRC (Design Rule Constraints) are the fundamental principles in constraining VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration) circuit… Read More


GLOBALFOUNDRIES 28nm Design Ecosystem!

GLOBALFOUNDRIES 28nm Design Ecosystem!
by Daniel Nenni on 06-01-2011 at 11:00 am

GLOBALFOUNDRIES will show off its 28nm design ecosystem at #48DAC next week in San Diego. The company will feature a full design ecosystem for its 28nm High-k Metal Gate (HKMG) technology, including silicon-validated flows, process design kits (PDKs), design-for-manufacturing (DFM), and intellectual property (IP) in partnership… Read More


New TSMC 28nm Design Ecosystem!

New TSMC 28nm Design Ecosystem!
by Daniel Nenni on 05-28-2011 at 9:23 pm

TSMC rolled out the new reference flows for 28nm design as part of the Open Innovation Platform. The biggest surprise (to me) is that Cadence is STILL in the TSMC reference flows!

The updated TSMC OIP wiki is here, the Reference Flow 12.0 wiki can be found here, the AMS 2.0 reference flow wiki is here, and the official TSMC PR is here. Read More


65nm to 45nm SerDes IP Migration Success Story

65nm to 45nm SerDes IP Migration Success Story
by Daniel Nenni on 05-25-2011 at 3:43 pm

The problem:To move a single lane variable data rate SerDes (serializer-deserializer) from a 65nm process to a 45nm process, achieving a maximum performance of up to 10.3 Gbps. This is a large piece of complex mixed-signal IP with handcrafted analog circuits. Circuit performance and robustness are critical and must be maintainedRead More


3D IC @ #48DAC

3D IC @ #48DAC
by Daniel Nenni on 05-23-2011 at 4:54 pm

A three-dimensional integrated circuit (3D IC ) is a chip in which two or more layers of active electronic components are integrated both vertically and horizontally into a single circuit. The semiconductor industry is hotly pursuing this emerging technology in many different forms, as a result the full definition is still somewhat… Read More


48th Annual Design Automation Conference

48th Annual Design Automation Conference
by Daniel Nenni on 05-23-2011 at 8:08 am

The 48[SUP]th[/SUP] Design Automation Conference (DAC) is now upon us. DAC is billed as “the premier event for the design of electronic circuits and systems, and for EDA and silicon solutions” for which I would have to agree with 100%.

The first DAC I attended was in 1984, Albuquerque New Mexico, which was one of the first to allow … Read More


Adjusting Custom IP to Process Changes

Adjusting Custom IP to Process Changes
by Daniel Nenni on 05-16-2011 at 1:57 pm

A High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) IP core was being implemented in an advanced process technology. This fairly large and complex analog mixed-signal (AMS) IP comprising over 130K devices was close to being finalized and shipped to the customer. But many design rules at the foundry were unexpectedly changed fromRead More