I had the pleasure of spending time with Hiren Majmudar in preparation for the upcoming AI Accelerators webinar. As far as webinars go this will be one of the better ones we have done. Hiren has deep experience in both semiconductors and EDA during his lengthy career at Intel and now with a pure play foundry. He is intelligent, personable,… Read More
How About a Faster Fast SPICE? Much Faster!
When Analog FastSPICE was first introduced in 2006 it changed the landscape for high performance SPICE simulation. During the last 14 years it has been used widely to verify advanced nanometer designs. Of course, since then the most advanced designs have progressed significantly, making verification even more difficult. Just… Read More
Staying on the Right Side in Worst Case Conditions – Performance (Part 2)
In this, the second part of a two-part series we delve further into defining worst case, this time focusing specifically on device performance.
In the last blog we talked about the steady increase in power density per unit silicon area and how worst case is definitely getting worse. We discussed how in each new FinFET node the dynamic… Read More
Contact over Active Gate Process Requirements for 5G
Summary
A recent process enhancement in advanced nodes is to support the fabrication of contacts directly on the active gate area of a device. At the recent VLSI 2020 Symposium, the critical advantages of this capability were highlighted, specifically in the context of the behavior of RF CMOS devices needed for 5G designs.
Introduction… Read More
Multi-Vt Device Offerings for Advanced Process Nodes
Summary
As a result of extensive focus on the development of workfunction metal (WFM) deposition, lithography, and removal, both FinFET and gate-all-around (GAA) devices will offer a wide range of Vt levels for advanced process nodes below 7nm.
Introduction
Cell library and IP designers rely on the availability of nFET and pFET… Read More
Design Technology Co-Optimization (DTCO) for sub-5nm Process Nodes
Summary
Design Technology Co-Optimization (DTCO) analysis was pursued for library cell PPA estimates for gate-all-around (GAA) devices and new metallurgy options. The cell design and process recommendations are a bit surprising.
Introduction
During the “golden years” of silicon technology evolution that applied Dennard… Read More
Feature-Selective Etching in SAQP for Sub-20 nm Patterning
Self-aligned quadruple patterning (SAQP) is the most widely available technology used for patterning feature pitches less than 38 nm, with a projected capability to reach 19 nm pitch. It is actually an integration of multiple process steps, already being used to pattern the fins of FinFETs [1] and 1X DRAM [2]. These steps, shown… Read More
Talking Sense With Moortec…Are You Listening?!
It almost doesn’t matter what your job may be, whether in the public sector or a private company, or how technical or how dangerous, many of life’s adages and sayings can be interpreted to have some direct meaning for all of us.
Over the years in our personal lives, we have been constantly advised that prevention is better than cure…certainly… Read More
Tracing Technology’s Evolution with Patents
We live in an age of abundant information. There is a tremendous exchange of ideas crisscrossing the world enabling new innovative type of products to pop up daily. Therefore, in this era there is a greater need to understand competitive intelligence. Corporate companies today are interested in what other competitors are brewing… Read More
Advanced CMOS Technology 2020 (The 10/7/5 NM Nodes)
Our friends at Threshold Systems have a new class that may be of interest to you. It’s an updated version of the Advanced CMOS Technology class held last May. As part of the previous class we did a five part series on The Evolution of the Extension Implant which you can see on the Threshold Systems SemiWiki landing page HERE. And… Read More
Should Intel be Split in Half?