We agree now that FD-SOI technology is Faster, Cooler, Simpler. But can it also be a cheaper technology? Let start with an overview of the current estimation of the development cost for complex SoC on advanced technology nodes. The following data are extracted from International Business Strategies, Inc 2013 report. The first… Read More
Is FD-SOI Really Faster, Cooler, Simpler?
I love the slogan associated with FD-SOI: the technology is supposed to be Faster, Cooler, Simpler. Does this slogan reflect the reality? Let’s start with Simpler. We (the semiconductor industry) have the perception that Silicon On Insulator (SOI) technology is something complex and exotic. Why? Because SOI has been used to … Read More
Is FD-SOI Smarter than Moore?
If you have read the excellent article from Paul McLellan, you know about FDSOI as a technology, so I will not come back to FDSOI device, and the comparison with FinFET in term of device topology, doping level and so on. If you missed it, I would recommend you to read this article, as well as the many comments (all of them being relevant).… Read More
The Alternative to FinFET: FD-SOI
Everywhere you turn these days you find FinFETs. Intel has had them since 22nm (they use the word Tri-gate but it is the same as what the world calls FinFET) and TSMC will have them at 16nm. So why FinFET? And is there an alternative?
The reason that regular bulk planar transistors have run out of steam is that the channel area underneath… Read More
Can “Less than Moore” FDSOI provides better ROI for Mobile IC?
In this previous article, I was suggesting that certain chip makers may take a serious look at a disruptive way to look at Moore’s law, as they may get better ROI, profit and even better revenue. The idea is to select technology node and packaging technique in order to optimize the Price, Performance, Power triptych and manage chip… Read More
FD-SOI is Worth More Than Two Cores
This is the second blog entry about an ST Ericsson white-paper on multiprocessors in mobile. The first part was here.
The first part of the white-paper basically shows that for mobile the optimal number of cores is two. It is much better to use process technology (and good EDA) to run the processor at higher frequency rather than add… Read More