[paper] Strategic Thinking on Open-Source PDK

(Medium link)

Written by Jun-ichi OKAMURA

IEEE Senior member (Bio)

In 1990, NHK hailed Japan as an "lectronic powerhouse," spotlighting the semiconductor industry. Now, three decades later, the spotlight has swung back onto semiconductors - though the star this time is cutting-edge manufacturing technology. In this piece, however, The Author’d like to shift the focus to the design side of semiconductors. This article follows in the footsteps of several earlier posts: "The Tale of PDKs, Past and Present" posted Dec. 3, 2023; "A Qualitative Cost Analysis of the Semiconductor Business" posted Aug.1, 2024; and "Semiconductors We Want to Make, Semiconductors We Want to Use" posted Dec. 23, 2024. I’m grateful that these pieces still receive steady traffic, and The Author hopes they’ve helped broaden my understanding of the design aspects of semiconductors for those in the industry.

This time, under the title “Strategic Thinking on Open-Source PDK (Process Design Kit),” The Author aims to explain key points about open-source PDKs clearly. The discussion doesn’t stop at semiconductor designers — it also addresses perspectives relevant to foundries (semiconductor manufacturing service providers) and those planning semiconductor-related businesses. The Author hopes you’ll find it an engaging read and a helpful resource.

Note: The views expressed here are authors's own, based on past work experience, and do not represent any organization.