Chip lifecycle / Structured ASIC lifecycle / Custom Layer Tape-out

Custom Layer Tape-out

Releasing the masks for only the custom metal or via layers, pulling banked base wafers and processing the custom layers on them. Because only a few layers are made and processed, the masks cost less and the wafers return sooner than for a full custom chip.

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

^D11 Customer Design Closure & Sign-off

^A12 Custom Layer Tape-outYou are here

^A13 Samples, Qualification & Customer Approval

Product milestones

ESEngineering samples PRProduction release VRVolume ramp

Base array and customer design milestones

NFCustomer netlist freeze CSCustomer design sign-off TOCustom layer tape-out FSFirst silicon DVSamples validated CAPCustomer approval QDDevice qualified

Platform and product management^O

1.0

Cell library and design kit^A

Freeze

Customer design engineering^D

1.0

Freeze

Customer design implementation^D

1.0^D

Freeze^A

Verification and equivalence: customer design^O

1.0^O

Freeze

Test and DFT: customer design^A

0.8^A

1.0^A

Wafer bank, foundry and supply: customer design^A

0.5

0.8^A

1.0

Quality and qualification: customer design^A

0.5

0.8

1.0^A

Customer programme management^D

0.8

1.0^D

Key0.0Planned0.3Early draft0.5Draft0.8Feature complete1.0CompleteFreezeFrozenFaded block: still at the step shown before it, Held below Complete or Maintained under change control once complete or frozenFreeze or sign-off pointMilestone for one item; the rest of the work carries onMilestone gateYou are here: Custom Layer Tape-outAI 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

Customer Design Closure & Sign-off^D
Custom Layer Tape-out (this stage)^A
Samples, Qualification & Customer Approval^A

Product milestones

Base array and customer design milestones

Disciplines

Platform and product management^O
- Customer Design Closure & Sign-off: maturity 1.0, Complete. Platform offered to customers on a qualified base; each customer device is released for volume orders, and the roadmap, the platform's updates and its end of life are managed from here.
- Custom Layer Tape-out: maturity 1.0, Complete. Platform offered to customers on a qualified base; each customer device is released for volume orders, and the roadmap, the platform's updates and its end of life are managed from here.
- Samples, Qualification & Customer Approval: maturity 1.0, Complete. Platform offered to customers on a qualified base; each customer device is released for volume orders, and the roadmap, the platform's updates and its end of life are managed from here.
Cell library and design kit^A
- Customer Design Closure & Sign-off: maturity Freeze, Frozen. Cells locked into the base masks; the kit is released again once correlated with silicon, then changed only through reviewed updates notified to customers.
- Custom Layer Tape-out: maturity Freeze, Frozen. Cells locked into the base masks; the kit is released again once correlated with silicon, then changed only through reviewed updates notified to customers.
- Samples, Qualification & Customer Approval: maturity Freeze, Frozen. Cells locked into the base masks; the kit is released again once correlated with silicon, then changed only through reviewed updates notified to customers.
Customer design engineering^D
- Customer Design Closure & Sign-off: maturity 1.0, Complete. Customer design signed off by the customer on the placed and routed design, with every open review point closed.
- Custom Layer Tape-out: maturity Freeze, Frozen. Customer design locked in its custom layer masks at tape-out; the team supports the customer through sample validation to approval.
- Samples, Qualification & Customer Approval: maturity Freeze, Frozen. Customer design locked in its custom layer masks at tape-out; the team supports the customer through sample validation to approval.
Customer design implementation^D
- Customer Design Closure & Sign-off: maturity 1.0, Complete. Design placed, routed and signed off for timing and physical checks on the fixed base.^D
- Custom Layer Tape-out: maturity Freeze, Frozen. Custom layers taped out, with banked wafers allocated to the device, and locked in the masks; a change from here is a new mask revision.^A
- Samples, Qualification & Customer Approval: maturity Freeze, Frozen. Custom layers taped out, with banked wafers allocated to the device, and locked in the masks; a change from here is a new mask revision.
Verification and equivalence: customer design^O
- Customer Design Closure & Sign-off: maturity 1.0, Complete. Results: verification and formal equivalence signed off on the placed and routed design.^O
- Custom Layer Tape-out: maturity Freeze, Frozen. Results locked with the custom layer tape-out database: equivalence and checks clean on it.
Test and DFT: customer design^A
- Customer Design Closure & Sign-off: maturity 0.8, Feature complete. Coverage goals met at the design sign-off, and the sample test program built from the taped-out design.^A
- Custom Layer Tape-out: maturity 0.8, Feature complete. Coverage goals met at the design sign-off, and the sample test program built from the taped-out design.^A
- Samples, Qualification & Customer Approval: maturity 1.0, Complete. Samples tested against the device specification and the production test program released.^A
Wafer bank, foundry and supply: customer design^A
- Customer Design Closure & Sign-off: maturity 0.5, Draft. Custom mask order and wafer finishing prepared against the design's netlist freeze and sign-off.
- Custom Layer Tape-out: maturity 0.8, Feature complete. Custom masks ordered from the taped-out layers and the allocated wafers released for finishing.^A
- Samples, Qualification & Customer Approval: maturity 1.0, Complete. First wafers finished and packaged; the bank, capacity and supply for the device then run to the last builds.
Quality and qualification: customer design^A
- Customer Design Closure & Sign-off: maturity 0.5, Draft. Qualification plan agreed with the customer against the netlist freeze and the design sign-off.
- Custom Layer Tape-out: maturity 0.8, Feature complete. Qualification lots, stresses and reliability checks booked for the taped-out device.
- Samples, Qualification & Customer Approval: maturity 1.0, Complete. Device qualified, largely by similarity to the base, with field quality and change notices handled to the end of life.^A
Customer programme management^D
- Customer Design Closure & Sign-off: maturity 0.8, Feature complete. Customer sign-off recorded; samples and deliveries planned with the customer.
- Custom Layer Tape-out: maturity 0.8, Feature complete. Customer sign-off recorded; samples and deliveries planned with the customer.
- Samples, Qualification & Customer Approval: maturity 1.0, Complete. Device in production, with deliveries kept in step with the customer's demand.^D

Register or sign in to read on

The full lifecycle detail, with its charts, flows, tables and every section, is for registered members. Registration is free and takes a minute. You come back to this page afterwards.