In the race for digital transformation, as our world is defined by smartphones, computers and an ever-increasing number of electronic devices, innovation is centered in the complex world of semiconductor technology. At the core of this cutting-edge field is physical design, the process that brings abstract concepts to life and produces the functional silicon chips that power most of the devices we use in our daily lives.
Understanding the Physical Design
Physical design is the unseen yet crucial bridge between conceptual semiconductor designs and the physical chips that power the devices we use every day. It involves translating the logical design, which outlines the chip’s functional components and their interconnections, into a concrete, manufacturable layout. This layout includes important aspects such as component placement, routing, timing, and power optimization, and requires efficient utilization of the chip area.
The essence of physical design is its ability to turn a great theoretical semiconductor design into reality – not only ensuring that the chip functions as intended, but also meets the stringent demands of today’s rapidly changing technology environment.
Evolution of Semiconductor Physical Design
The semiconductor physical design landscape is constantly changing. It has changed in response to the increasing demand for faster, more energy-efficient, and compact electronics. As Moore’s Law continues to shrink transistors and integrate more components onto chips, physical design methods have had to adapt to keep up with the pace of innovation. This evolving landscape has brought both challenges and opportunities. On the one hand, chip designs have become significantly more complex, necessitating a more streamlined and efficient physical design process. On the other hand, these challenges have spurred innovation in design methods, tools, and technologies, ultimately pushing the boundaries of what is possible with semiconductor technology.
Role in the physical design of MosChip
With a deep commitment to efficiency and innovation, MosChip specializes in providing comprehensive physical design services. Our expertise allows our customers to seamlessly navigate the complex process from concept to silicon realization.
Our physical design services include a wide range of processes such as IO planning, floor planning, design partitioning, power planning, place and route, clock tree synthesis, DFM/DFY, full-chip timing and SI closure, logical equivalence checking, EM-IR analysis, and physical verification. MosChip has been actively involved in the synthesis, physical design, and timing closure of multi-million gate chips. We have implemented low power techniques such as clock gating, multi-Vt, voltage islands, and power gating to address dynamic industry challenges. This capability is essential to create energy-efficient and environmentally friendly devices that extend battery life, reduce heat, improve reliability, comply with regulations, and improve market competitiveness.
Additionally, achieving precise timing closure is a crucial aspect of chip development as it directly impacts the reliability and efficiency of the integrated circuit. The process of timing closure helps prevent malfunctions and ensures the desired performance of the chip.
Additionally, physical design follows foundry guidelines and uses physical verification processes such as Layout vs. Schematic (LVS) verification, Electrical Rule Check (ERC), and Design Rule Check (DRC) to ensure the chip layout adheres to design rules and specifications prior to manufacturing, eliminating potential manufacturing issues and ensuring chip functionality. During this process, violations and inconsistencies in the chip’s physical layout are identified and corrected, preventing costly errors and manufacturing delays.
Technology Node Expertise
The choice of technology node in semiconductor manufacturing plays a critical role in achieving specific design goals. This determines the chip’s performance, power efficiency and other important characteristics. MosChip offers highly customized semiconductor solutions to its customers with comprehensive expertise in various technology nodes ranging from 3nm to 180nm.
Analog, Mixed-Signal and Memory Expertise
It is important to understand that each chip has unique requirements and therefore its own design challenges. Moschip knows that. This awareness is essential as it highlights the importance of customizing solutions to meet the exact needs of various clients in the semiconductor industry. Our expertise allows us to avoid the complexities of analog, mixed-signal and memory floorplan constraints required for ASIC/SoC implementation and give every design the proper attention.
Looking ahead, the future of physical design holds exciting possibilities. Cloud-based EDA tools offer scalability, accessibility, and innovative physical design methodologies that are growing in popularity.
As technology continues to advance, MosChip provides world-class physical design solutions. We not only design the chips of the future to be smaller and faster, we ensure they are rigorously verified and reliable. In a field where precision and efficiency matter more than anything, MosChip’s commitment to excellence is the compass that guides the future of semiconductor design.
