Semiconductor and EDA Industry Trends forecast for 2010
03/01/2010 15:51
|
Semiconductor and EDA Industry Trends forecast for 2010
As we look ahead to 2010 and beyond, the challenges are great for the semiconductor and EDA industries ,but so are the opportunities. We must learn to thrive in an increasingly globalised world and in a collaborative yet competitive ecosystem. EDA providers and semiconductor companies must collaborate to reduce the escalating cost of high-quality design and remove productivity bottlenecks, and work together to bring the semiconductor industry out of the doldrums. In terms of the worldwide semiconductor industry, collaboration will continue to accelerate. The Common Platform, which brought together competitors including IBM, Chartered and Samsung to share the costs of next-generation process technology, is one example. Deep, pro-active collaborations between EDA vendors and semiconductor providers have become crucial. Cadence in 2009 announced collaborations on advanced process node design with ARM, TSMC, SMIC, Global Foundries, UMC, IBM, Common Platform, and other partners. In terms of EDA, providers must not only help customers reduce design and verification costs and solve technology problems, but must also help them differentiate themselves from competitors, and collaborate with partners on a worldwide basis. To do this, the EDA industry must focus on integrated solutions and close partnerships rather than simply selling point tools. Time-to-market pressures and design complexity are critical challenges that design teams face today. Design teams want to "get it right" the first time, and improve the predictability of design process. EDA will have to sharpen the focus on making the verification process cost effective and focus not only on design but on IP integration so that design predictability can be ensured for customers at optimum costs. Design for manufacturing (DFM) technologies including extremely accurate modeling solutions for both mask-making and manufacturing to avoid expensive silicon re-spins will be another focus area. End consumers are driving our customers to incorporate more functionality into the products. This demand for new functionality is driving both the importance and complexity increase in mixed signal and RF (radio frequency) design. As our customers face significant cost pressure, outsourcing certain elements of a production-grade design environment can address certain customer needs for reduced cost and risk. As a result software as a service will continue to gain traction in 2010. As designs migrate to sub-90nm process nodes, power management will be an imperative across the entire design and manufacturing chain. Specific to India, a growing consumer base with increasing disposable income presents the opportunity for semiconductor companies to develop hybrid products in telecom, wireless and medical applications, for the domestic market and potentially other emerging markets. From solar-powered LED lanterns, digital inverters, hand-held medical diagnostics for rural customers, we see this trend growing; we could evolve into a systems design hub in the future. --Jaswinder Ahuja, corporate vice president and managing director, Cadence Design Systems (I) Pvt Ltd Source: www.efytimes.com |
||