Throughout its history, the ASIC industry has had its ups and downs. With feast and famine cycles, the ASIC business model is not for the faint of heart. Some companies tread boldly while others dread the cycles and stay away from this business model. Those who are consistently successful have to overcome many challenges thrown … Read More
Silicon Catalyst Angels Turns Three – The Remarkable Backstory of This Semiconductor Focused Investment Group
The Silicon Catalyst Angels investment group recently announced the completion of three years of operation. There are great statistics associated with the organization and its financial results. This includes an over 4X increase in members since inception and an impressive list of investments. One of the noteworthy attributes… Read More
Interface IP in 2021: $1.3B, 22% growth and $3B in 2026
If you want to remember the key points for Interface IP in 2021, just consider $1.3B, 22%, $3B. Interface IP category has generated $1 billion 300 million in 2021, or 22.7% year to year growth, thanks to high runner protocols PCIe, DDR memory controller and Ethernet/SerDes. Even more impressive is the forecast, as IPnest predict… Read More
ASML- US Seeks to Halt DUV China Sales
-If you can’t beat them, embargo them
-It has been reported US wants ASML to halt China DUV tools
-US obviously wants to kill, not just wound China chip biz
-Is this embargo the alternative to failed CHIPS act?
-Hard to say “do as I say, not as I do”- but US does anyway
First EUV ban now DUV ban? Are process & yield… Read More
Accellera Update: CDC, Safety and AMS
I recently had an update from Lu Dai, Chairman of Accellera, also Sr. Director of Engineering at Qualcomm. He’s always a pleasure to talk to, in this instance giving me a capsule summary of status in 3 areas that interested me: CDC, Functional Safety and AMS. I will start with CDC, a new proposed working group in Accellera. To manage… Read More
Micron kicks off the down cycle – Chops 2023 capex – Holding inventory off street
-Micron reports weak outlook for fiscal Q4
-2023 capex to be down versus 2022 capex of $12B & Q3’s $2B
-Company keeping inventory off street to support pricing
-Memory is usually the first shoe to drop in a down cycle
Sharp drop in demand at end of Q3…..
Micron reported a sharp drop in demand at the end of its fiscal Q3,… Read More
Semiconductor Hard or Soft Landing? CHIPS Act?
-Chip cycle will come down. Only question is landing impact
-What does cyclical end do to re-shoring & build out plans?
-Is it less demand, excess supply or both? Does it matter?
-CHIP Act rescue efforts get desperate switching to threats
Any landing you can walk away from is a good one
For those of us who have been in the semiconductor… Read More
Imec Buried Power Rail and Backside Power Delivery at VLSI
At the VLSI Technology Symposium Imec presented on Buried Power Rails (BPR) and Backside Power Delivery (BSPD) in a paper entitled: “Scaled FinFETs Connected by Using Both Wafer Sides for Routing via Buried Power Rails”. I recently had a chance to interview one of the authors, Naoto Horiguchi about the work. I have interviewed … Read More
ASML EUV Update at SPIE
At the 2022 SPIE Advanced Lithography Conference, ASML presented an update on EUV. I recently had a chance to go over the presentations with Mike Lercel of ASML. The following is a summary of our discussions.
0.33 NA
The 0.33 NA EUV systems are the production workhorse systems for leading edge lithography today. 0.33 NA systems are… Read More
CHIPS for America DOA?
- We think hopes for CHIPS for America is fading fast
- Politics, Jan 6th, guns, inflation, partisanship will likely block it
- Alternative to building US semis is knocking down China chips
- The only political option may be more restrictions on China
Chips for America act seems drowned out by partisan screaming
We have been saying, for… Read More


Semidynamics Unveils 3nm AI Inference Silicon and Full-Stack Systems