Getting an MPW Quote on My iPhone

As I blogged about recently, eSilicon have completely automated the quote process for their MPW shuttle service. You can use an online interface that runs in the browser but there is also an app that you can download from the App Store.

So I decided I had a few million dollars to burn and I’d get myself my very own TSMC 20nm parts. So I start by filling in the process. MPWs are somewhat granular and the foundry has a “block size” which represents both the smallest die you can purchase and also the unit that will be used to round up the die size. I have an 8x8mm die so 64mm[SUP]2[/SUP]. I’m going to put it in flipchip BGA packaging so I need to pick that and the die need to be bumped.

Since I’m going to do extensive characterization, let’s get wafers from 5 process corners (typical, fast-fast, fast-slow, slow-fast and slow-slow). I seem to get 100 of each.

That’s it. Request the quote and a few seconds later there it is.

Looks like it is going to cost me around $3.5M. I think I might hold off on signing this signature page for now since I haven’t started the design. Not to mention not having $3.5M lying around.

And here’s what I have to supply eSilicon so that they can have it manufactured.

Wow. That was pretty simple. I can now iterate and see what it would be if I used 28nm instead of 20nm. The die will be 10mm on a side now. Let’s not package the die. And not bother with anything other than the typical corner.

Just $1.7M now. Half the price.

You can play this game at home. Just sign up on the eSilicon website here.

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