Semiconductor Supply Chain Explorer (2022)

https://chipexplorer.eto.tech

by jstrieb • 3 years ago

70 11 3 years ago

chipexplorer.eto.tech

jstrieb• 3 years ago

An accompanying blog post that explains the origins of the supply chain explorer site:

https://eto.tech/blog/introducing-supply-chain-explorer-adva...

amelius• 3 years ago

Only U.S. firms can produce EDA software with the full-spectrum capabilities engineers need to design leading-edge chips.

Why is that?

transpute• 3 years ago

https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/08/18/1058116/eda-soft...

On August 12 [2022], the US Commerce Department announced a multilateral export control on certain EDA tools, blocking China and over 150 other countries—essentially any country that isn’t a traditional US ally—from accessing them without specially granted licenses ... how has the industry become so American-centric, and why can’t China just develop its own alternative software?

AareyBaba• 3 years ago

The software is complex and you need to work closely with existing fabs.

See this video from asianometry https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihz2WY-E2C8

KirillPanov• 3 years ago

you need to work closely with existing fabs

It's mostly this part.

The fabs are using the EDA companies the same way PC manufacturers used Microsoft in the 1990s. There is only really one company for each particular piece of the EDA toolchain -- Cadence and Synopsys don't really compete directly now that they've run everybody else out of business (or bought them up). "Using" here is in the symbiotic sense.

varispeed• 3 years ago

Very interesting. I was actually hoping that UK makes a lot of stuff in the supply chain, turns out we barely make anything. Great.

xadhominemx• 3 years ago

The UK has the largest IP supplier - ARM… otherwise, just a handful of niche suppliers.

oplaadpunt• 3 years ago

What I miss in this overview is the whole of analog IC design. I get the usual tendency to focus on digital logic (higher volumes, etc), but analog design has a large importance in fields like aviation and defence, for security, communications, radar, etc.

ls612• 3 years ago

Aren’t old line companies like TI and ADI king in that market?

Hextinium• 3 years ago

They are the dominant players for sure. I think the biggest reason is that they do everything mostly the same, there is no reason to talk about how deep trench was done independently if Intel did it 10 years before. Or that x technology allows for higher performance. It's all not important to the product offerings and hype train.

Semiconductor Supply Chain Explorer (2022)

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