Category Archives: Wafer and Foundries

Understanding Process Corner (Corner Lots)

Process Lots (or corner lots) are special-modified-wafers that help verifying chip design robustness to accommodate process variations that statistically occur in wafer production over the years.
One of the products that semiconductor foundries offer is process lots (also called: corner lots, split lots or skewed lots). Corner lots wafers are

Who is Bigger and Stronger than TSMC?

I have the utmost respect for TSMC. For their advanced technology; for the quality of their products; for their ecosystem; and for their contribution to the industry. In fact, TSMC has become so big – that it will take a while until the second ranked foundry can catch up.
The

Six ways to improve chip yield rate- before the project starts

Early on in Chip projects, yield is not taken very seriously. The common thinking goes –  anyhow there isn’t much to do as this early point of time. However, there are actually several things you can do even before the Chip design starts, which will translate to clear savings.

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Top 10 Semiconductor Companies Leaders Growth and Winners

This post describes the growth of top 10 semiconductors companies in the last 10 years. It tracks the growth of the 10 semiconductor leaders from 2002 to 2011 and shares some nontraditional thoughts about the ten semiconductors vendors’ success:
 
Thought #1: Follow the market trends
Since the 80’s companies from USA,

Who is Intel’s biggest Threat?

Paul Otellini has made the best decision for himself and for Intel. He is leaving the company.
There are only a few who don’t admire Intel. Intel has introduced ground breaking technologies decade after decade and has been demonstrating top financial results year after year. Is it beneficial for Intel

Does size matter? Understanding Wafer Size

Silicon wafers are the most essential element in the realization of ICs. The semiconductor industry had invested heavily to increase the wafer size during the last 30 years, so while foundries used to produce 1 inch wafers, today’s common wafer size is 300mm (11.8 times larger than 1 inch). There