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The IoT will meet 5G soon, but not with the old SIM cards

The IoT will meet 5G soon, but not with the old SIM cards
by Tom Simon on 05-16-2019 at 7:00 am

By now you have probably realized that 5G is a lot more than an incremental change from previous 3G and 4G cellular technology. For instance, 5G will be used to connect our phones in completely new ways, such as with microcells in urban areas using mm-wavelength signals. 5G will also include two low power protocols that are intended… Read More


56thDAC ClioSoft Excitement

56thDAC ClioSoft Excitement
by Daniel Nenni on 05-15-2019 at 12:00 pm

As the number one 56thDAC supporting portal we will publish what’s happening in the conference, on the exhibit floor, and outside activities. The SemiWiki bloggers will be out in full force with live coverage and behind the scenes looks. Remember, SemiWiki bloggers are actual semiconductor professionals with hundreds… Read More


Getting to EMC Compliance by Design

Getting to EMC Compliance by Design
by Bernard Murphy on 05-15-2019 at 7:00 am

At the risk of highlighting my abundant lack of expertise in the domain, I had always viewed EMC (electromagnetic compatibility) compliance and testing as one of those back-end exercises that can only be done on the real device and depends on a combination of expertise and brute-force in chip/package/module/system design (decaps,… Read More


Achieving a Predictable SignOff in 7nm

Achieving a Predictable SignOff in 7nm
by Alex Tan on 05-14-2019 at 12:00 pm

Designing with advanced-nodes FinFETs such as 7nm node involves a more complex process than prior nodes. As secondary physical effects are no longer negligible, the traditional margin-based approach applied at various design abstraction levels is considered ineffective. Coupled with the increase of device counts, failing… Read More


Trade war shifts electronics production

Trade war shifts electronics production
by Bill Jewell on 05-14-2019 at 7:00 am

The U.S. is showing steady growth in electronics production. Three-month-average change versus a year ago (3/12) in March 2019 was 6.2%, the 12[SUP]th[/SUP] consecutive month of growth above 5%. China electronics production is decelerating, with March 2019 3/12 growth of 8.2%, similar to 8.3% in February. This marks the first… Read More


Re Energizing Silicon Innovation

Re Energizing Silicon Innovation
by Bernard Murphy on 05-13-2019 at 12:00 pm

Hardware is roaring back into prominence in technology innovation, from advanced cars to robots, smart homes and smart cities, 5G communication and the burgeoning electronification of industry, medicine and utilities. While software continues to play a role, all of these capabilities depend fundamentally on advances in … Read More


The Evolution of the Extension Implant Part V

The Evolution of the Extension Implant Part V
by Daniel Nenni on 05-13-2019 at 7:00 am

Part 4 of this series discussed how a transistor Extension could be fabricated in a planar device without using an implant operation, and is instead formed using a preferential etch followed by a selective epitaxial deposition. This final installment of the series will present the formation of an Extension in a FinFET transistor… Read More


Uber’s Sandcastle

Uber’s Sandcastle
by Roger C. Lanctot on 05-13-2019 at 7:00 am

As Uber’s initial public offering arrives this is a good moment to consider what kind of employment model for the future we all, as employees and employers, would prefer to adopt: Amazon or Uber?

One of my sons has interviewed with Amazon. The other has his Amazon moment today. My across-the-street neighbor works for Amazon Web Services.… Read More


Chip Equip Trade War Collateral Damage

Chip Equip Trade War Collateral Damage
by Robert Maire on 05-13-2019 at 7:00 am

We have been very vocal and perhaps the first to warn of the risks to the semiconductor and semiconductor equipment industry from the China trade war with the US. It seems that the war is now fully upon us with the imposition of 25% tariffs by the US and promised retribution by China. The semiconductor industry is at the leading edge … Read More


The SiFive Tech Symposiums are Heading to Six Cities in Europe in May!

The SiFive Tech Symposiums are Heading to Six Cities in Europe in May!
by Daniel Nenni on 05-12-2019 at 4:00 pm

Hello Cambridge, Grenoble, Stockholm, Moscow, Munich and Amsterdam
Our 2019 global symposiums and workshops have been hugely successful in promoting the RISC-V ISA and fostering expansive collaboration within the open-source community. It’s invigorating to see how the worldwide semiconductor ecosystem is energized and… Read More