Collaborative innovation for future mobile applications

Abstract

Advanced mobile applications are the predominant driver for semiconductor technology innovations both at the leading edge and at the mature nodes. The short life-cycles of mobile products and the need for SoC level differentiation imposes significant challenges on technology architecture and time-to-volume. We foresee a move towards much closer collaboration, in fact a virtual IDM-like model, on both technical and business levels. With daunting technical challenges like 3D stacking, 450mm fabs, new transistor architectures, multi-patterning, extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, collaboration - early, often and deep - is really the only practical approach given the cost and complexities involved. Early eco-system enablement with accurate models and silicon proven IP ensures first pass design success, which is an important step for faster Time-to-volume (TTV). We refer to this close collaborative model as Foundry 2.0.