Why SI/PI is Mission-Critical for 3D IC Success
How do you ensure clean, stable power and reliable signal transmission in a dense 3D IC stack without introducing late-stage surprises?
In this episode of the Siemens 3D IC Podcast, host John McMillan sits down with John Caka, Principal SI/PI Engineer at Siemens EDA, to explore why signal and power integrity (SI/PI) analysis is more vital than ever in 3D IC workflows—and why progressive verification is key to managing complexity at every stage of design.
Together, they unpack the evolving demands of SI/PI in 3D IC architecture, from early planning to vendor-specific IP verification. You’ll learn how multidisciplinary teams—spanning layout, thermal, mechanical, electrical, and packaging—must align in parallel to make next-gen designs successful.
This episode also shares behind-the-scenes insight into Siemens’ recent collaboration with Chipletz, highlighting the EDA tool flexibility and scalability needed for today’s massive pin-count designs.
Ideal for SI/PI engineers, 3D IC architects, packaging teams, die designers, layout specialists, and system-level verification professionals.
What you’ll learn
What SI/PI means and why it’s essential for 3D IC reliability
How 3D design shifts traditional SI/PI workflows and stakeholder roles
What progressive verification looks like in practice—from architectural feasibility to detailed modeling
How new standards like UCIe and AIB add flexibility—and ambiguity—to the design process
The real-world challenges Siemens overcame with Chipletz, a smart substrate startup
Where you’ll find it:
- What is SI/PI and why does it matter in 3D IC? (1:40)
- How does the SI/PI flow differ from traditional monolithic designs? (3:20)
- What is progressive verification, and how does it help? (5:55)
- Who are the key stakeholders—and why is collaboration essential? (9:20)
- The story behind Siemens’ partnership with Chipletz (11:35)
- Final thoughts on the future of 3D IC and SI/PI’s role (14:05)
John Caka
John Caka is a Signal Integrity Applications Engineer with over a decade of experience in high-speed digital design, modeling, and simulation. He earned his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Utah in 2013 and an MBA from the Quantic School of Business and Technology in 2024.
John began his career at Micron Technology, where he was part of the Signal Integrity team from 2013 to 2018. His work focused on the design and analysis of DDR4, DDR5, and LPDDR4 memory packages and systems, with an emphasis on optimizing signal quality across complex interconnects.
Since 2018, John has served as a Signal Integrity Applications Engineer at Siemens Digital Industries (formerly Mentor Graphics). In this role, he supports customers worldwide in solving advanced SI/PI challenges, with deep expertise in simulation methodologies, EM field solvers, and high-speed interface technologies.
3D IC
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