Area selective processing (ASP) is assuming ever greater importance in semiconductor fabrication. ASP involves deposition and removal of materials at the molecular level¾10 nm or less. Key applications of ASP include self-aligned contacts and fully self-aligned vias (FSAVs), scaling boosters that are essential to continue… Read More



Podcast EP118: An Assessment of the Worldwide Semiconductor Ecosystem with Sagar Pushpala
Dan is joined by Sagar Pushpala, a seasoned semiconductor professional with more than 35 years of experience with IDMs, fabless and related semiconductor entities. He is actively involved with nearly a dozen companies in the US, Singapore and India in advisory/board, consulting and investment roles.
Dan explores the dynamics… Read More
Slashing Power in Wearables. The Next Step
In wearables and hearables, low power is king. Earbuds for example still only manage a half-day active use before we need to recharge. Half a day falls short of truly convenient for most of us – a full day would be much better, allowing for overnight recharge. Physics limits battery sizes so system designers must look to SoC architectures… Read More
Quadric’s Chimera GPNPU IP Blends NPU and DSP to Create a New Category of Hybrid SoC Processor
Performance, Power and Area (PPA) are the commonly touted metrics in the semiconductor industry placing PPA among the most widely used acronyms relating to chip development. And rightly so as these three metrics greatly impact all electronic products that are developed. The degree of impact depends of course on the specific … Read More
Why Use PADS Professional Premium for Electronic Design
My IC design career started just a few years before PADS got started in 1985 with a DOS-based tool for PCB design. A lot has changed since then, as PADS was acquired by Mentor Graphics in 2001, and continued to grow under Siemens EDA, now with four versions to choose from, where the top version is called PADS Professional Premium:
- PADS
Flash Memory Market Ushered in Fierce Competition with the Digitalization of Electric Vehicles
Governments worldwide have been paying close attention to alternative energy vehicles recently. Many have launched related electric vehicle subsidy policies, accelerating global sales over recent years.
In 2021 at IAA Mobility in Munich, Germany, many major car manufacturers, including Porsche, showcased their all-electric… Read More
Are EDA companies failing System PCB customers?
Electronic Design Automation (EDA) is a critical industry which enables the development of electronic systems. Traditionally, EDA has been bifurcated into two distinctive market segments: Semiconductor and Systems (PCB). If one were to look at the EDA industry in the early 1970’s, one would find significant capabilities… Read More
KLAC- Strong QTR and Guide but Backlog mutes China and Economic Impact
-KLA great quarter & guide as backlog mutes China/Economy
-Patterning starts to catch up to wafer inspection outperform
-China impact is limited to leading edge & specific customers
-Cuts in memory capex less impactful on KLA
KLAC reports strong quarter and good guide
Revenues were $2.7B with EPS of $7.06 versus street… Read More
Podcast EP117: More Good News From Wally Rhines and the SEMI Electronic Design Market Data Report
Dan is joined by Dr. Walden Rhines, former CEO of Mentor Graphics, which is now Siemens EDA, and current CEO of Cornami. Wally is also the Executive Sponsor of the SEMI Electronic Design Market Data Report, which is the topic of this podcast.
The current market report for Q2, 2022 documents continued strong performance, with some… Read More
TSMC Expands the OIP Ecosystem!
This was the 12th TSMC OIP and it did not disappoint. The attendance was back to pre pandemic levels, there was interesting news and great presentations. We will cover the presentations in more depth after the virtual event which is on November 10th. You can register HERE.
As I mentioned in my previous post, the Jim Keller Keynote … Read More
Should Intel be Split in Half?