1. Purpose and scope
Tape-out is the point of no return for a chip revision. Once masks are made from the database, any error in it costs a new set of masks and a new trip through the fab. The stage exists to make that release deliberate: to confirm that every sign-off is complete, that every waiver is understood and approved, that the database is the right one, and that the foundry has everything it needs.
The stage is short but intense. It starts once physical sign-off is complete and ends at the tape-out gate, when the final layout database and its handoff package are released to the foundry and accepted after the foundry's own checks.
Scope includes chip finishing steps such as seal ring, fill, logos and identification marks, the final runs of every sign-off check on the exact database being released, the tape-out checklist and its archive, and the commercial and logistics details agreed with the foundry.
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