How to make efficient communication, collaboration, and optimization from system to chip

Abstract

SoC (System on a Chip) is a powerful solution to increase system performance and to reduce system cost, in particular for digital consumer products. SoCs for DVD, DTV, DSC, DVC, and cellular phone are current main LSI products for the digital consumer market. However current SoC has tough issues. A large system will continue to need Soc technology with scaled device; however the number of SoC design will decrease with time. Increase of development time and cost, insufficient performance, insufficient size of market for each application will make the choice of SoC difficult. Embedded circuit of which area is not scalable with technology scaling will make a serious issue in SoC. Cost of this circuit will increase with technology scaling according to A. Matsuzawa (2002). As a result, large analog circuit and some kind of memory will not able to be embedded in future SoC. SiP (System In a Package) looks strong alternative to address this issue. Different devices, such as different technology nodes, different functions, different materials, and some high performance passive devices can be integrated easily in a package. Conventionally some chips do not need to be developed, even if the system configuration and specification are changed. This reduces the development time and cost. Of course, SiP technology has some issues, such as decrease of signal transfer speed, insufficient number of connection, poor design tools, testing and known good die, and reliability. However today is too early to judge this technology is hopeless. We need more time to develop and mature the technology.