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In the world of digital design, you often hear the terms synchronous clock and asynchronous clock. While simple designs with a single module might use just one clock, modern Systems-on-a-Chip (SoCs) are typically designed with a variety of asynchronous clocks. For example, let's look at the Qualcomm Snapdragon
Physical Design Rule Checking (DRC) is the cornerstone of semiconductor physical verification, ensuring that an integrated circuit’s layout adheres to the foundry’s manufacturing constraints. By automating the validation of geometric and spacing requirements in chip layouts, DRC prevents catastrophic defects—shorts, opens, misalignments—and secures high yields, manufacturability,
The continuous scaling of semiconductor process nodes improves transistor density, but it disproportionately amplifies interconnect parasitics, necessitating a "shift-left" approach where the interconnect effect, particularly resistance, must be considered much earlier and more stringently throughout the design flow. The transition to advanced process nodes signifies a shift from
Overview of SPICE and STA In modern high-density VLSI design, it's crucial to ensure that an integrated circuit (IC) operates correctly and reliably at its specified clock period. This is achieved through rigorous timing analysis, which identifies potential performance bottlenecks and ensures compliance with timing constraints. Static Timing
In the field of Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) design, a finished semiconductor chip's performance is not only determined by its logical functionality but is also significantly affected by physical phenomena that occur on the tiny wires, or interconnects, inside the chip. These physical phenomena are known as
Multi-Project Wafer (MPW) is a service that allows various semiconductor designs to be fabricated on a single wafer. Think of it like a "variety pizza"—instead of ordering a full pizza with just one topping, an MPW wafer combines multiple different designs from various teams onto a single
Chip design, particularly for modern, complex System on Chip (SoC) designs, is growing on an unimaginable scale. In the past, it was possible to fit an entire design into a single Verilog netlist and process it with an EDA tool. Now, that approach leads to several problems. Massive Designs, New
Introduction Engineering, unlike pure science, incorporates an additional crucial variable: profitability. The decision to mass-produce semiconductors hinges entirely on whether it can be done profitably. As of 2024/2025, how far have semiconductor manufacturing processes advanced? Are we at 3nm, 2nm, or 1.8nm? We have reached 0.7nm. IMEC
All electronic devices that underpin modern society—smartphones, computers, automobiles, AI servers, and more—cannot exist without semiconductor chips. These tiny chips integrate billions of microscopic transistors onto a single piece of silicon, a highly integrated technology known as Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI). VLSI is not merely a continuation
I'll research semiconductors until the day I die. And share everything I learn. [Via mail every week]
Smartphones, cars, and home appliances. The pulsating heart of these advanced devices, nestled in your hand or woven into your daily life, is often a tiny semiconductor chip. This small marvel enables an unimaginable array of complex functionalities. But did you know that the birth of such a "magical&
Do you have a semiconductor design engineer in your family? Before planning your Vacance? ask them for their 'Tape out' schedule. The term “tape-out” harks back to the 1970s when engineers recorded design data on magnetic tapes and physically shipped them to foundries (Tapeout Origin). These tapes held
Introduction The memory hierarchy is a cornerstone of modern computer architecture, enabling systems to balance the competing demands of speed, capacity, and cost. From ultra-fast registers to high-capacity hard disk drives (HDDs), each level of the hierarchy is optimized for specific performance characteristics. However, the growing disparity between processor and
1. Introduction to Physical Verification in VLSI Design Physical verification is a critical step in the VLSI design flow, ensuring that the integrated circuit (IC) layout adheres to the manufacturing constraints defined by the foundry. Among the various checks performed, Design Rule Checking (DRC) is a cornerstone of physical verification,
The High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) roadmap from HBM4 to HBM8 represents a transformative leap in memory architecture to meet the escalating demands of AI supercomputing, particularly for large language models (LLMs), generative AI, and eventual AGI/ASI systems. HBM4 (2026, NVIDIA Rubin, AMD MI400) * Specifications: 8Gbps (HBM4e: 10Gbps), 2048 I/
Introduction to Semiconductor Yield In Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) manufacturing, yield is a cornerstone metric that quantifies the proportion of functional integrated circuits (ICs) produced from a silicon wafer. Defined as the ratio of good chips to total chips, yield directly influences the economic viability of semiconductor production. The
![[Digital design] Latch based Static Timing Analysis](/content/images/size/w600/2025/06/-------------2025-06-15-073417.png)
소개 Latch-based design is used in digital semiconductor design. Cell Transistor count D Latch 12~16 D Flip-Flop 18~32 Compared to Flip-Flop-based design, it offers the advantage of reduced transistor count, which impacts power and area. A key benefit of latches is timing flexibility through time borrowing. However, Flip-Flops
Executive Summary The Trump administration's recent export control measures targeting Electronic Design Automation (EDA) software represent a paradigm shift in semiconductor geopolitics, fundamentally altering the landscape of global chip design capabilities. This comprehensive analysis examines the technical, economic, and strategic implications of restricting Synopsys, Cadence, and Siemens EDA
The landscape of semiconductor manufacturing has evolved into a complex ecosystem where foundry selection represents one of the most critical strategic decisions in ASIC development. As process technologies advance beyond the 3nm node and specialized applications demand increasingly stringent requirements, the foundry selection process has transformed from a simple cost-performance
Imagine you're in the final interview at your dream company and they ask: "What is a semiconductor? Please explain in detail" 1. Band Theory Explanation A semiconductor is a solid material with electrical conductivity between that of a conductor (metal) and an insulator. From a band
With recent changes in the technology industry, the salaries and prospects of engineering positions continue to evolve. In particular, salary levels for engineers in the United States show significant differences based on specialization, region, education level, and experience. This article provides a comprehensive look at US engineers' salary trends
LSF (Load Sharing Facility) Usage Guide: Job Scheduler Program Frequently Used in AI, Simulation, and Semiconductor Design Let's explore LSF (IBM Spectrum LSF), one of the server management programs in detail. To summarize briefly: 1. Companies and research institutes have numerous people using supercomputers. 2. They will request
