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7nm, 5nm and 3nm Logic, current and projected processes

7nm, 5nm and 3nm Logic, current and projected processes
by Scotten Jones on 06-25-2018 at 7:00 am

There has been a lot of new information available about the leading-edge logic processes lately. Papers from IEDM in December 2017, VLSIT this month, the TSMC and Samsung Foundry forums, etc. have all filled in a lot of information. In this article I will summarize what is currently known.… Read More


Semiconductor Cycles Always End the Same Way

Semiconductor Cycles Always End the Same Way
by Robert Maire on 06-24-2018 at 3:00 pm

It appears the current cycle has rolled over? The reason is memory & could be worsened by trade Figuring out length, depth and impact of the downturn? We had said that AMAT “called” the top of the cycle on their last conference call even though they may not think so. Semiconductor cycles always ends the same way. The… Read More


Mentor at the 55th Design Automation Conference

Mentor at the 55th Design Automation Conference
by Daniel Nenni on 06-22-2018 at 9:00 am

It’s hard to believe that this is the 55th DAC and even harder to believe that this will be my 35th. So much has changed in 35 years, with DAC back in San Francisco I expect a VERY big crowd and even bigger announcements, absolutely.

Not only is this an epic time for semiconductors, I would say that EDA is exciting again and the Mentor… Read More


Folklore Around the HP 35 LED Development and the Nobel Prize

Folklore Around the HP 35 LED Development and the Nobel Prize
by Daniel Nenni on 06-22-2018 at 7:00 am

This is the third in the series of “20 Questions with Wally Rhines”

In the early 1970s I was working on a PhD thesis based upon GaAs light emitting diodes, or LEDs. Many of my predecessors in the Materials Science and Engineering Department at Stanford had worked on other aspects of III-V compounds and some of them went… Read More


Achieving Clean Design Early with Calibre-RTD

Achieving Clean Design Early with Calibre-RTD
by Alex Tan on 06-21-2018 at 4:00 pm

Functional and physical verification are easily the two long poles in most IC product developments. During a design implementation cycle, design teams tend to push physical verification (PV) step towards the end as it is a time consuming process and requires significant manual interventions.

PV Challenges
In the traditional… Read More


What to Expect from Methodics at DAC

What to Expect from Methodics at DAC
by Daniel Payne on 06-21-2018 at 12:00 pm

I’ve been visiting DAC for decades now, at first as an EDA vendor and since 2004 as a freelance EDA consultant. There’s always a buzz about what’s new, semiconductor industry trends, who is getting acquired and the latest commercial EDA and IP offerings. There’s so much vying for my attention at DAC each… Read More


ANSYS at DAC

ANSYS at DAC
by Bernard Murphy on 06-21-2018 at 7:00 am

I’m not going to be at DAC this year because I scheduled a fishing trip at the end of June, assuming the show would stay true to form as an early/mid-June event. Still, having to endure salmon and halibut fishing in Alaska rather than slogging around Moscone Center, I can’t pretend to be too disappointed; I’ll be thinking of you all 😎.… Read More


HOT Party for a Cause at DAC 55

HOT Party for a Cause at DAC 55
by Randy Smith on 06-20-2018 at 4:00 pm

The Design Automation Conference (DAC), now in its 55[SUP]th[/SUP] year, always offers a lively mix of activities. For EDA vendors and their customers, the focus is on the exhibit floor and in booth suites where the latest technology is on display. For R&D engineers and academics, the technical sessions dig deeply into an … Read More


The Wolper Method

The Wolper Method
by Bernard Murphy on 06-20-2018 at 11:00 am

If you read around topics in advanced formal verification you’re likely to run into something called Wolper coloring, or what Vigyan Singhal (Chief Oski at Oski) calls the Wolper method. Many domains have specialized techniques but what’s surprising in this instance is a seeming absence of helpful on-line explanations (though… Read More


TSMC OIP DAC Theater Schedule 2018

TSMC OIP DAC Theater Schedule 2018
by Daniel Nenni on 06-20-2018 at 6:00 am

The TSMC OIP DAC Theater schedule is finalized and ready to go. It kicks off Monday at 10:15 am in booth #1629 and ends with a raffle at 5:45 pm each day (Mon-Tue-Wed) TSMC gives out some very nice prizes so check in with the TSMC booth staff when you arrive. There are 66 coveted presentation spots representing the top ecosystem partners… Read More