ROI from Nanometer IC Circuit Verification

Sang Wang, CEO & Chairman Nassda Corporation

Abstract

Investment cost in nanometer IC projects continues to increase at a rapid pace. But more importantly, investment increase will arrive from longer than expected project cycle, design rework to correct silicon problems and to improve yields and substantial catch up effort when products are late to market. Prudent project leaders should address these issues vigorously and take right actions to bring down cost and enhance ROI, particularly if the product is a high volume one with a high stake on its success.

Our full-chip circuit verification and analysis tools did contribute to improve customers’ project ROIs. These come from several areas of cost saving : first, shortening the design cycle by simulating detailed circuit response at a much higher speed than that of conventional tools; secondly, enabling first-time silicon success by performing full-chip post layout circuit verification, which can reduce circuit rework time and cost and accelerate product time-to-market; thirdly, analyses and refinements for imperfect circuits including post-silicon diagnostics and design margin enhancement to help improve yields. When nanometer manufacturing processes impose new parasitic effects in complicating the design and verification of complex ICs, the full-chip circuit simulation, verification and problem analysis capabilities are becoming highly necessary for project success and for good ROI.

Curriculum Vitae

Sang Wang is currently CEO and Chairman of Nassda Corporation, a Santa Clara based EDA company. Dr. Wang was co-founder, CEO and Chairman of EPIC Design Technology from 1986 to 1997. EPIC went public in October 1994 and was acquired by Synopsys in February, 1997. Dr. Wang served as a Sr. Vice President at Synopsys until March 1998. Prior to co-founding EPIC, Dr. Wang was a Sr. Member of Technical Staff and a CAD Manager at AMD Saxony LLC&Co. KG from 1982 to 1986. Dr. Wang holds a BSEE from National Taiwan University, a MS in Physics from Ohio State University and a Ph.D. in E.E. from Stanford University.