Si2 discloses facts about OpenPDK alliance

LONDON: The Silicon Integration Initiative (Si2) disclosed that the founding members of the latest OpenPDK alliance, and surprisingly pure-play silicon foundries do not play a role in it.

The founding members include AnaGlobe Technology, Cadence Design Systems, IBM, Intel, Mentor Graphics, NXP, Pulsic, SpringSoft, STMicroelectronics and Synopsys. For now, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd and other pure-play silicon foundries are missing from the membership.

According to reports, there is currently a path towards an "open" PDK or process design kit, which is said to facilitate and speed up fresh analogue and mixed-signal designs in the foundries.

The Interoperable PDK Libraries (IPL) Alliance recently released its "open standard" for interoperable process design kits (iPDKs). The standard, dubbed IPL1.0, is thought to decrease cycle times and costs.

IPL alliance technology is based on the OpenAccess database which will continue to develop over the different process nodes–at least until 28nm.

This effort is known as the OpenPDK Coalition. The objective of the OpenPDK Coalition is to identify a set of open standards to let a PDK to be portable across contending foundries and EDA tools. The foundries are strained to support separate and proprietary custom-oriented PDKs from Cadence, Mentor, Synopsys and others. Thus, the industry is looking for a customary PDK format.

Strangely, TSMC and many other pure-play foundries aren’t a part of the founding group. TSMC is a main promoter of the IPL. "We hope TSMC will soon follow" and join the OpenPDK Coalition, as per a spokesperson for Si2.

Perhaps the foundries are waiting for the new specifications of the group. Meanwhile, the OpenPDK Coalition has also issued a comprehensive request for technology which covers: foundry provided elements, design kit creation elements, EDA tool interfaces, and utilities.

Si2 group said "The RFT solicits contributions covering the above areas from all stakeholders to form strong and open standards for PDK structures and supporting collateral to endorse adoption based on established ideas, specifications and functions,".

Steve Schulz, president and CEO of Si2, in a statement said "The OpenPDK project draws on a lot of industry resources to form the broadest probable PDK interoperability solution, enabling greater competence and cost savings for both developers and users,".