Designing an ASIC/Chip is a complex engineering challenge that requires careful planning and accurate estimation of the final chip size. As process nodes continue to shrink and foundry technologies diversify, having a reliable chip size calculator can save time, reduce risk, and streamline the design process. Our free online ASIC chip size calculator helps engineers, students, and project managers quickly estimate the die area of their custom integrated circuits using just a few easy inputs.
Die size is one of the most critical factors in ASIC design. It directly impacts wafer cost, yield, power consumption, and packaging. Underestimating die size can lead to late-stage redesigns or failed tape-outs, while overestimating results in wasted silicon area and higher manufacturing costs. That’s why a chip size calculator is a must-have tool for anyone working in IC design, whether you’re prototyping a startup SoC or managing high-volume production.
Our calculator is designed to be intuitive and flexible, requiring only the essential inputs for a realistic estimate:
Foundry Selection: Choose from all major semiconductor foundries, including TSMC, GlobalFoundries, UMC, SMIC, Tower, XFAB, Intel, Samsung, and SkyWater. Each foundry has unique design rules and process characteristics.
Process Node: Select the technology node (e.g., 5nm, 28nm, 130nm, 180nm). This determines the transistor density and influences both logic and memory area.
Number of Gates: Enter the total number of logic gates in your design. This is typically provided by your synthesis tool or design flow.
Number of IOs: Specify how many input/output pads or pins your chip requires. This influences the required pad ring area.
SRAM Size (Optional): If your design includes embedded SRAM or memory macros, you can input the total memory size in Mbits for a more accurate area estimate.
Our ASIC chip size calculator is powered by industry-standard formulas and the latest foundry data. Here’s how it estimates your die area:
Logic gates are the heart of any ASIC. The calculator determines the logic area by dividing your total gate count by the gate density (in gates per square millimeter) for your chosen foundry and process node. This value is further adjusted by a utilization factor (typically 60–75%), which reflects how efficiently the design can be packed onto silicon.
If your ASIC contains SRAM, its area is calculated by dividing the total memory size (in Mbits) by the SRAM density of the chosen node. SRAM blocks can take up a significant portion of the die in modern SoCs, so including this value improves accuracy.
IOs are placed around the edge of the die in a pad ring. The total area required is estimated based on the number of IOs, the IO pitch (distance between pads), and the depth of the pad ring (typically ~0.15mm). For most chips, IO area is modest, but high-pin-count designs (e.g., FPGAs or advanced MCUs) can have substantial IO overhead.
All these elements are combined using the following formula:
Die Area = [(Gates / (Gate Density × Utilization)) + (SRAM Size / SRAM Density) + (IO Count × IO Pitch × IO Pad Depth)]
Ready to estimate your chip size? Use our calculator now and get fast, accurate results—whether you’re early in the planning stage or validating a detailed design. Save time, optimize costs, and avoid surprises during tape-out.
If you have feedback, suggestions, or would like to see more foundries or process nodes added, let us know! We’re committed to making our chip size calculator the most accurate and user-friendly tool in the semiconductor industry.
