Summary of Trends

Summary

We have examined EDA tool and semiconductor trends.

We looked at the several developments in the design team environment and in individual tools and suites. These included integrated design suites, run time control, distributed design, and system-chip design languages.

EDA tool trends include design closure, formal verification, design repair, design for test, and memory system design tools. The cost of test is increasing rapidly as the chip complexity grows.

EDA tools are including manufacturing aspects early in the IC design. Design for manufacturing trends include design redundancy, chip-to-chip differences, and mask enhancement tools. Mask costs are increasing with no end in sight.

The semiconductor trends have and will have great influence on the EDA tool landscape. Whole systems on a single chip have become common. These SoC chips have several EDA-related issues, including design re-use, IP, and integration of blocks.

Other chip issues include performance design, power and thermal design, DSM physical effects, and new materials under development. All of these involve EDA tools for analysis or checking.

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