Chip lifecycle / Process node lifecycle / Technology Definition

Technology Definition

Fixing what the node will offer: its performance, power and density targets, the device menu, the metal stack and design rule intent, the cost of ownership and the business case, and releasing an early access design kit for design studies.

Where this stage sits

This stage with its neighbours. Each row is a discipline active here, shaded by how mature its work is by the end of each stage.

Stage

^AO01 Pathfinding & Exploration

^AO02 Technology DefinitionYou are here

^A03 Process Module Development

Business and customers milestones

PAPathfinding approval TDTechnology definition approved EAEarly access PDK release

Technology milestones

CSTR1Technology concept selected MCProcess modules capable

Technology business and roadmap^A

Pre-kit

v0.1^O

Pathfinding and device research^A

Pre-kit^A

v0.1

Device engineering and modelling^A

Pre-kit^A

v0.1^A

Design-technology co-optimisation^A

Pre-kit

v0.1

Lithography and patterning^A

Pre-kit

v0.1

Process module engineering^A

v0.1

Process integration^A

v0.1

Test chips and electrical test^A

v0.1

PDK development and release^A

v0.1

Foundation IP and libraries^O

v0.1

Customer design enablement and ecosystem^A

v0.1

Manufacturing operations and capacity^O

v0.1

Equipment and materials supply^A

Pre-kit

v0.1

KeyPre-kitPathfindingv0.1Early access kitv0.5Design-start kitv0.9Pre-production kitv1.0Production kitHVMIn volume productionFaded block: Held, the status shown before it still standsFreeze or sign-off pointMilestone for one item; the rest of the work carries onMilestone gateTRTechnical readiness review (TR): a gate that checks the technology is ready before the next commitment.You are here: Technology DefinitionAI impactDisruption (red)Augmentation (blue)Opportunity (green)How AI is changing the workWhat the steps mean What the codes mean

Show this chart as a list

Stages

Business and customers milestones

Technology milestones

Technology concept selected (CS) (technical readiness review TR1)
Process modules capable (MC)

Disciplines

Technology business and roadmap^A
- Pathfinding & Exploration: maturity Pre-kit, Pathfinding. Roadmap entry and pathfinding charter agreed, with the node's market requirements drafted and the concept options weighed against them.
- Technology Definition: maturity v0.1, Early access kit. Business case, investment plan and node market requirements approved at the technology definition, with investment tracked as modules are built.^O
- Process Module Development: maturity v0.1, Early access kit. Business case, investment plan and node market requirements approved at the technology definition, with investment tracked as modules are built.
Pathfinding and device research^A
- Pathfinding & Exploration: maturity Pre-kit, Pathfinding. Candidate devices, materials and modules explored in simulation and short experiments, and one concept chosen with the evidence.^A
- Technology Definition: maturity v0.1, Early access kit. Pathfinding results handed to development, with learning transfer notes for the module teams.
- Process Module Development: maturity v0.1, Early access kit. Pathfinding results handed to development, with learning transfer notes for the module teams.
Device engineering and modelling^A
- Pathfinding & Exploration: maturity Pre-kit, Pathfinding. Device architectures simulated and the candidates compared on simulated performance.^A
- Technology Definition: maturity v0.1, Early access kit. Device targets set and handed to the kit as target models, and early silicon characterised as modules come up.^A
- Process Module Development: maturity v0.1, Early access kit. Device targets set and handed to the kit as target models, and early silicon characterised as modules come up.
Design-technology co-optimisation^A
- Pathfinding & Exploration: maturity Pre-kit, Pathfinding. Early co-optimisation studies run on the candidate devices with representative cells and blocks.
- Technology Definition: maturity v0.1, Early access kit. Co-optimisation study and design rule intent handed to the technology definition and the early access kit.
- Process Module Development: maturity v0.1, Early access kit. Co-optimisation study and design rule intent handed to the technology definition and the early access kit.
Lithography and patterning^A
- Pathfinding & Exploration: maturity Pre-kit, Pathfinding. Patterning options for the critical layers studied.
- Technology Definition: maturity v0.1, Early access kit. Patterning solution developed and OPC models built while the modules are made capable, then test vehicle masks released.
- Process Module Development: maturity v0.1, Early access kit. Patterning solution developed and OPC models built while the modules are made capable, then test vehicle masks released.^A
Process module engineering^A
- Technology Definition: maturity v0.1, Early access kit. Process modules developed to their specifications and proven capable for integration.
- Process Module Development: maturity v0.1, Early access kit. Process modules developed to their specifications and proven capable for integration.^A
Process integration^A
- Technology Definition: maturity v0.1, Early access kit. Technology definition written and the integrated flow assembled from the modules with short-loop learning.
- Process Module Development: maturity v0.1, Early access kit. Technology definition written and the integrated flow assembled from the modules with short-loop learning.
Test chips and electrical test^A
- Process Module Development: maturity v0.1, Early access kit. Test vehicle plan written, first parametric data taken from short loops and test vehicles designed for the baseline.
PDK development and release^A
- Technology Definition: maturity v0.1, Early access kit. Early access kit released on target models and the draft rule manual.
- Process Module Development: maturity v0.1, Early access kit. Early access kit released on target models and the draft rule manual.
Foundation IP and libraries^O
- Process Module Development: maturity v0.1, Early access kit. Library development started on the early access kit.
Customer design enablement and ecosystem^A
- Technology Definition: maturity v0.1, Early access kit. Early customers and partners engaged on the early access kit.
- Process Module Development: maturity v0.1, Early access kit. Early customers and partners engaged on the early access kit.
Manufacturing operations and capacity^O
- Technology Definition: maturity v0.1, Early access kit. Cost of ownership model and first capacity plan set for the technology definition.
- Process Module Development: maturity v0.1, Early access kit. Cost of ownership model and first capacity plan set for the technology definition.
Equipment and materials supply^A
- Pathfinding & Exploration: maturity Pre-kit, Pathfinding. Supplier readiness for the candidate tools and materials assessed.
- Technology Definition: maturity v0.1, Early access kit. Tools and materials developed with suppliers for the process modules.
- Process Module Development: maturity v0.1, Early access kit. Tools and materials developed with suppliers for the process modules.

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