Programme lowers the ASIC entry bar

Minimum fabrication costs have been reduced by a factor of up to 10, under a new programme, launched under the Europractice IC Service.

Minimum fabrication costs have been reduced by a factor of up to 10, under a new programme, launched under the Europractice IC Service.

mini@sic will enable universities and research laboratories worldwide to fabricate very small designs at a cost of a few hundred Euros.

IMEC offers access to ASIC technologies through the Europractice IC service.

As well as low-cost entry to technologies and support, the IC service provides cell library distribution, backend design support, prototyping and volume production including multiproject wafers (MPWs), and volume production runs in different technologies at AMI Semiconductor BVBA Belgium (AMIS).

ASIC prototyping is offered through prescheduled MPW runs whereby several designs are merged on the same mask set, so that expensive mask and wafer costs are shared between customers.

This MPW principle typically reduces the ASIC prototyping cost by a factor of 10.

MPW prototyping cost is proportional to the chip area.

However, a minimum charge applies to small designs, typically equivalent to 5 to 10mm2 or around Eur 1500 to 10,000 depending on the technology.

This minimum charge is far too expensive for universities and research laboratories to prototype small designs made by engineering or PhD students.

To overcome this financial barrier and to allow universities and research laboratories to prototype small designs, Europractice is launching the mini@sic programme, in collaboration with AMIS.

Under this programme, the minimum chargeable chip area is reduced to only 1mm2.

As a result, universities and research laboratories can now prototype small designs in AMIS technologies, at a greatly reduced fee, typically in the area of Eur 300 to 1000.

"With this mini@sic programme, we hope to stimulate universities and research laboratories to restore ASIC design to their curricula and to encourage new research in advanced technologies.

The minimum charge has prevented universities from prototyping small ASICs.

The mini@sic programme should remove this barrier", said Dr Carl Das, Director of the Europractice IC Service at IMEC.

"AMIS is committed to offer a continued support to Europractice for prototyping and small volume production.

Allowing prototyping of small designs at very low cost is only possible with the help of Europractice.

By offering our advanced CMOS, high voltage CMOS and SiGe BiCMOS technologies at very low entry costs, AMIS hopes to make a valuable contribution to the needs of education and research at universities and laboratories throughout the world", said Ignace Borde, Foundry Business Unit Director at AMIS Belgium.

Back to top