Moving semiconductor IP to a new process technology is usually treated as a redesign problem, but what if much of the original design could be reused?
For analog and mixed-signal IP, years of engineering effort are embedded not only in the schematic, but also in the physical layout. Device sizing, matching, symmetry, routing, shielding, placement, hierarchy, and other physical design decisions can represent a substantial investment.
Starting again from a schematic can mean throwing away much of that investment but IN2FAB takes a different approach.
Our migration technology and engineering services are designed to determine how much of an existing design can be preserved and migrated to a new technology—before a customer commits to a full redesign or migration program. That is where an IN2FAB Migration Feasibility Study can provide significant value.
The biggest question facing a company considering IP migration is often deceptively simple: Can our existing IP be migrated economically to the target process?
Comparison between the foundries and process nodes are a key part of the equation, but much of the answer depends on the actual design. Generic discussions about migration capabilities cannot tell you how your particular IP will behave. Every design has its own devices, layout structures, PCells, vias, design-rule dependencies, and technology-specific implementation choices. An IN2FAB feasibility study applies our migration technology to a representative portion of your actual IP. Instead of estimating what migration might require, you get an opportunity to see what migration can actually accomplish.
IN2FAB's OSIRIS migration technology is designed to migrate both schematic and physical layout while preserving design hierarchy and structure.
That is important because the layout is often where much of the value of analog and mixed-signal IP resides.
A feasibility study can demonstrate how your existing physical implementation translates to the target technology and identify the areas where additional engineering is required.
You can see:
The result is a much more concrete picture of the migration project to inform both technical and business decisions.
Many semiconductor companies have large portfolios of proven IP developed over years or even decades. That IP may represent millions of dollars of engineering investment. When a company moves to a new process, the conventional response can be to redesign significant portions of that IP. But a redesign is not necessarily the only option.
But a redesign is not necessarily the only option. If existing layouts can be migrated and reused, companies may be able to reduce the amount of new design work required while retaining valuable knowledge already embedded in the original implementation. Migration can turn existing IP into an asset for the next process generation instead of treating it as obsolete. A feasibility study provides a way to determine whether that opportunity exists.
A full migration program can require substantial engineering resources. Before making that commitment, companies need answers to practical questions:
An IN2FAB feasibility study is designed to answer these questions early. Rather than committing immediately to a large migration project, you can start with a focused evaluation and use the results to define the next step.
Not every part of an IP migration needs to be handled manually. IN2FAB's technology can automate many of the repetitive and technology-dependent aspects of migration, allowing engineers to concentrate on the areas where their expertise adds the most value.
Depending on the design, this can include automated handling of:
The feasibility study helps identify where automation can have the greatest impact on your particular IP.
That means the goal isn't simply to determine whether migration is possible. It is to determine how efficiently it can be done.
One of the most valuable outputs of a feasibility study is a better-defined project. The results can provide the basis for:
Instead of beginning a migration with a broad estimate, you can begin with information derived from the actual design. That can make the difference between an open-ended engineering project and a defined migration program. You don't need to commit your entire IP portfolio to find out whether migration is viable. IN2FAB can use that design to evaluate the migration path and demonstrate the technology, giving the foundation for a broader migration program.
Every semiconductor company has different resources and requirements. Some companies may want to use migration software internally, others may prefer IN2FAB to perform the migration engineering. Many projects can benefit from a combination of technology and engineering services. You can use our migration technology to accelerate your own engineering team, engage IN2FAB for migration services, or combine the two. The feasibility study helps determine which approach makes sense for your design and organization.
The decision to migrate or redesign an IP block can have significant consequences for cost, schedule, engineering resources, and time to market. It should not have to be based on a high-level guess.
An IN2FAB feasibility study provides a practical first step toward understanding what is possible with your existing IP.
Start with the design. Test the migration. Measure the effort. Then make the decision.
If you have proven analog, mixed-signal, or other custom IP that needs to move to a new technology, IN2FAB can evaluate the migration opportunity using your actual design. Whether it's a pilot block, an IP licensing opportunity or porting a complete IP platform, a migration feasibility study delivers a clear picture of technical detail, schedule and cost.
Contact IN2FAB to discuss a Migration Feasibility Study and find out how much of your existing IP can be reused.
Don't automatically redesign what you may be able to migrate.
