SemiEngineering: Easier Low Power ICs With Reference Flows

Excerpt from article: “Easier Low Power ICs With Reference Flows”

Power-sensitive ICs for wearables and internet of things (IoT) products are in demand for markets ranging from automotive to military/aerospace to consumer. As with most ICs, cost and time-to-market pressures are important determiners of success. Reducing risk by using a vendor-created reference flow can confer a serious business advantage.

Reference flows are popular because building a custom flow takes time and specialized knowledge, introduces risk, and increases both the total cost of tool ownership and time to tapeout. Reference flows for a specific technology are verified by both the EDA vendor and the fab, letting the designers focus on creating value instead of creating a design flow.

Siemens EDA and UMC supply their customers with a complete reference flow for digital and mixed-signal design for the UMC 22uLP technology. The reference flow includes scripts that automate each step of the flow, a user guide, and design data for demonstration (Arm Cortex-M33 processor).

The UMC 22uLP process features a 10 percent area reduction, improved power-to-performance ratio, and enhanced RF capabilities compared to the company’s 28nm High-K/Metal gate process. The platform is ideal for a wide variety of applications and is well-suited for power-sensitive ICs that require long battery life.

Read the entire article on SemiEngineering originally published on July 9th, 2020.