Cadence expands support for 3Dblox 2.0 standard

The Integrity 3D-IC Platform is fully compliant with the 3Dblox 2.0 standard language extensions, and the flows have been optimised for all of TSMC’s latest 3DFabric offerings, including Integrated Fan-Out (InFO), Chip-on-Wafer-on-Substrate (CoWoS) and System-on-Integrated-Chips (TSMC-SoIC) technologies. Through this latest collaboration between Cadence and TSMC, customers creating AI, mobile, 5G, hyperscale computing and IoT 3D-IC designs can model system prototypes to accelerate design turnaround time.

Prototyping requires two different types of feasibility-checking methods across the various 3DFabric technologies—coarse-grained feasibility for thermal and EM-IR analysis, and fine-grained feasibility for die-to-die connections. Coarse-grained feasibility is enabled through a system-level tool integration with the Integrity 3D-IC Platform, featuring Voltus IC Power Integrity Solution and Celsius Thermal Solver, providing seamless prototyping for all TSMC’s latest 3DFabric configurations. Fine-grained feasibility is enabled through a silicon routing solution as well as joint collaboration on the development of a next-generation auto-router for 3DFabric technologies, which includes performance-boosting prototyping capabilities that support TSMC’s InFO and CoWoS offerings, enabled through the Integrity 3D-IC platform.

The Integrity 3D-IC platform is certified for use with TSMC’s 3DFabric and the 3Dblox 2.0 specification. The platform combines system planning, implementation and system-level analysis in a single platform, and due to the shared infrastructure between Cadence 3D design and system analysis tools, customers can perform feasibility-checking much more efficiently. In addition, Cadence Allegro X packaging solutions have been enhanced with advanced InFO-specific design rule checking (DRC).

The flows supporting the 3Dblox 2.0 standard provide chiplet mirroring, which lets engineers reuse chiplet module data, improving productivity and performance. In addition, the flows provide inter-chiplet DRC through the Cadence Pegasus Verification System, which helps designers create an inter-chiplet CAD layer for DRC automatically.

“With multiple packaging options available for implementation of multi-die designs, early prototyping and feasibility studies are becoming increasingly important,” said Dan Kochpatcharin, head of the Design Infrastructure Management Division at TSMC. “Through our continued collaboration with Cadence and with the addition of the latest prototyping features that support the 3Dblox 2.0 standard, we’re enabling customers to leverage our comprehensive 3DFabric technologies and the Cadence flows to significantly improve 3D-IC design productivity and time to market.”

“The Cadence Integrity 3D-IC Platform is the unified solution that provides an efficient way for customers to leverage the new 3Dblox 2.0 prototyping capabilities to create leading-edge 3D-IC designs using TSMC’s 3DFabric technologies,” said Dr. Chin-Chi Teng, senior vice president and general manager in the Digital & Signoff Group at Cadence. “By working closely with TSMC, customers adopting our new flows for use with 3Dblox 2.0 standard can accelerate the pace of innovation with next-generation multi-chiplet designs.”