Dosing for EUV lithography walks a fine line between productivity and defectivity. Fabs can choose higher-dose exposures to suppress photon shot noise [1]. However, higher doses require EUV machines to scan the wafer at slower speeds, degrading throughput [2].
On the other hand, there is the threat of resist thickness loss that… Read More
In engineering development, automated code generation as a pair programming assistant is high on the list of targets for GenAI applications. For hardware design obvious targets would be to autogenerate custom RTL functions or variants on standard functions, or to complete RTL snippets as an aid to human-driven code generation.… Read More
We are in the midst of one of the most transformative periods for data center infrastructure. The explosion of AI, cloud-scale workloads, and hyperscale networking is forcing rapid innovation not only in compute and storage, but in the very fabric that connects them. At the recent Hot Chips conference, Pat Fleming gave a talk on… Read More
By Zameer Mohammed
Once a chip is taped out, changes in design are not possible – Silicon is unforgiving, does not allow postproduction modifications. In contrast, software can be updated after release, but chips remain fixed. Static Timing Analysis (STA) signoff serves as a crucial safeguard against silicon failures.
In modern… Read More
For decades, high-performance CPU design has been dominated by traditional out-of-order (OOO) execution architectures. Giants like Intel, Arm, and AMD have refined this approach into an industry standard—balancing performance and complexity through increasingly sophisticated schedulers, speculation, and runtime … Read More
The rapid evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming industries, from autonomous vehicles to data centers, demanding unprecedented computational power and efficiency. As highlighted in Synopsys’ guide, the global AI chip market is projected to reach $383 billion by 2032, growing at a 38% CAGR. This … Read More
By Marko Suominen and Slava Zhuchenya of Siemens Digital Industries Software.
It’s often said that an orchestra without a conductor is just a collection of talented individuals making noise. The conductor’s role is to transform that potential cacophony into a unified, beautiful symphony. The same concept holds… Read More
At Hot Chips 2025, Philippe Sauter of ETH Zürich presented Basilisk, a project that may redefine what’s possible with open-source hardware. Basilisk is a 34 mm² RISC-V SoC fabricated at IHP Microelectronics on its open-source 130nm BiCMOS process in Germany. Basilisk, named after the Greco-Roman mythical creature known… Read More
In the rapidly evolving semiconductor landscape, imec’s recent breakthroughs in wafer-to-wafer hybrid bonding and backside technologies are reshaping the future of compute systems. As detailed in their article, these innovations transition CMOS 2.0 from a conceptual framework to practical reality, enabling denser,… Read More
Dan is joined by Dr. Julien Ryckaert who joined imec as a mixed-signal designer in 2000, specializing in RF transceivers, ultra-low power circuit techniques, and analog-to-digital converters. In 2010, he joined imec’s process technology division in charge of design enablement for 3DIC technology. Since 2013, he oversees… Read More
Rapidus, IBM, and the Billion-Dollar Silicon Sovereignty Bet