Microprocessor vendors such as Andes have been saying for some time that security requires extensive hardware support. In particular, embedded processors in intelligent sensors inside IoT chips are now popular targets for hackers, who find it easy to change the program code and system parameters to alter the operation of the… Read More
TSMC Advanced Packaging Overcomes the Complexities of Multi-Die DesignThe TSMC Technology Symposium provides a worldwide stage…Read More
Accelerate SoC Design: Addressing Modern Prototyping Challenges with S2C's Comprehensive Solutions (II)In the fast-paced world of Electronic Design Automation…Read More
CEO Interview: Dieter Therssen of SigasiDieter Therssen obtained his master's degree in Electronics…Read More
3DIC Verification Methodologies for Advanced Semiconductor ICsAt the recent User2user conference, Amit Kumar, Principal…Read More
Update: Who will manufacture the Apple A9?
Last August I presented possible scenarios for the manufacturing of the Apple A9 processor. Quite a bit has changed since then so I think it is worth revisiting. There has also been quite a lot of misinformation in the press which is now pretty much a daily thing. Attending the IEDM conference last month really was a stark difference… Read More
Is the Internet of Things just a toy?
The Internet of Things (IoT) is arguably the most hyped concept since the pre-crash dot-com euphoria. You may recall some of the phrases from back then such as “the new economy,” “new paradigm,” “get large or get lost,” “consumer-driven navigation,” “tailored web experience,” “it’s different now,” among countless other media… Read More
IEDM: FD-SOI Down to 10nm
The big picture is that planar semiconductor transistors don’t really work below 20nm. The reason is that the gate does a poor job of controlling the channel since too much channel is too far from the gate and so there is a lot of leakage even when the transistor is nominally off. So the channel needs to be made thinner. One way … Read More
Facts Support New Emergence in Semiconductor Landscape
As we left an exciting year 2014 which is poised to record 7+ % increase in semiconductor revenue (~ $338 B) compared to 2013 (~ $315 B) and entered into another promising year 2015 for semiconductors, I looked back over the year bygone and collected inferences from some of the major important events which clearly convey how 2015 can… Read More
WLAN Design Optimization at Lantiq
Right now I’m typing on my MacBook Pro computer connected to the Internet through WiFi, thanks to the electronics in both my laptop and WiFi router. I kind of take WiFi for granted because it is so ubiquitous throughout my daily life, yet there are IC designers at companies like Lantiq Semiconductorthat have to design and optimize… Read More
IEDM Advanced CMOS Technology Platform Session
First I want recognize that IEDM once again provided all of the attendees with the proceedings as soon as we arrived at the conference, in fact the proceeding included every year of IEDM back to 1955. This is how a conference should be run! Anyone who read my blog about the SPIE Advanced Lithography Conference will know how frustrating… Read More
GlobalFoundries did NOT Pull the Emergency Brake!
Barron’s again published an unsubstantiated semicondutor rumor that is making the rounds. It all started with a Christmas day blog by Robert Maire who is a long time semiconductor analyst. Please note that he is not a semiconductor professional (someone who actually works in the industry) but he certainly does know people who … Read More
SoCs should invest in a strong cache position
Like most technology firms, Apple has been home to many successes, and some spectacular defeats. One failure was Project Aquarius. At the dawn of the RISC era, before ARM architecture was “discovered” in Cupertino, engineers were hunkered over a Cray X-MP/48. The objective was to design Apple’s own quad core RISC processor to … Read More
ANSYS Updates RedHawk for FinFET Nodes
Most designers are not using FinFETs yet, however the increased transistor density and power advantages they offer are compelling. Smaller feature sizes have been a consistent driver in semiconductor technology. Eventually the market will move more and more to FinFET processes, increasingly leaving behind planar transistors.… Read More
TSMC Advanced Packaging Overcomes the Complexities of Multi-Die Design