IC Design Technology

SEI is capable of implementing your design in gate array, standard cell or full custom technology. For customers unsure of what technology is the most appropriate, SEI can provide expert advice. Factors often considered are supplier independence, performance, technology content, cost objectives, packaging, and time-to-market constraints. SEI is supplier independent and can recommend a technology that makes sense rather than one a supplier simply has available.

Gate Array

Gate array technology is typically the least expensive method for realizing your design. It is also the fastest way to market for predominately digital circuits. While the NRE is lower, unit prices are usually higher than other approaches and supplier freedom is compromised since you do not own the mask tooling. SEI has experience with practically every mainstream supplier of gate array technology and can work with the manufacturing vendor of your choice.

Standard Cell

This approach is preferred when your design includes special macrocells such as large memory, special I/O or other high performance macros. When compared to gate arrays, the time to market is usually longer, NRE is higher, but unit cost is less. Many suppliers offer standard cell based ASIC technology. However, using a supplier's cell library, macros, or compiled memories may restrict your source of supply to that one vendor. SEI's standard cell library and expanding list of macros can provide supplier independence and the cost advantages of a standard cell implementation.

Full Custom

Full custom is often the choice when the lowest possible unit cost is required. Analog capabilities, nonstandard I/O's, ultra-low power consumption, custom memory arrays, and non-standard voltages are a few of the many reasons full custom is some-times the only real choice.

The NRE normally associated with a standard cell or gate array supplier is replaced in a full custom design with mask tooling charges and prototype wafer purchases. One advantage of a full custom design is retaining ownership of the tooling. SEI can point out the benefits of a full custom based implementation and the costs savings of COT (Customer Owned Tooling) based purchasing.

For those already familiar with the capabilities and advantages of full custom design, SEI is available for process conversions, yield improvements, shrinks or any required full custom modification.


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