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Synopsys To Play A Key Role In Enabling Intel Foundry Services For US DOD Chip Program
Dave Altavilla
Senior Contributor
I cover break-out tech in mobile, on desktop and in the data center.
Nov 17, 2022,01:30am EST
Intel Fab 42 - Ocotillo Campus In Chandler, Arizona
Late last year, the US Department of Defense (DOD) put in motion a program called RAMP-C (Rapid Assured Microelectronics Prototypes – Commercial). The goal of this program is to help create state-of-the-art commercial semiconductor design, foundry and fabrication services with access for critical DOD systems and infrastructure. In the process, the US DOD awarded Intel an agreement to provide commercial chip foundry services in the first phase of this program. In-turn Intel Foundry Services (IFS) will be working with key partners such as Synopsys, to provide quantifiably assured design tools, IP and design services that will assure the DOD the security it needs to manufacture on Intel’s leading-edge commercial manufacturing nodes.
As part of Intel’s USMAG (US Military Aerospace and Government) Alliance, which was formed to enable a trusted US chip design ecosystem for IFS, Synopsys will supply the DOD and other US government branches with a comprehensive set of Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools, proven IP blocks and quantifiably-assured secure design services that are required. This is no small feat since historically US military, aerospace and government entities have trailed the silicon fab process curve, due to these strict security assurance requirements and their relatively low volume demand precluding them from being able to take advantage of high volume, cutting-edge commercial chip fab processes.
Keeping US Government, Aerospace And Defense Ahead Of The Curve
It may sound crazy but US government and defense requirements for semiconductors have historically relied on dated chip fab technologies; think 90nm (nanometer) in a day and age when mainstream commercial fabless semiconductor companies are building chips on 7nm process technology and below. Again, part of the reason for this is that state-side chip fab partners like Global Foundries have had to provide secure assured design and manufacturing lines for low volume demands from US government entities. Where commercial US chip players like NVIDIA, Qualcomm and others drive upwards of 10K wafer starts per week, US government requirements are typically in the dozens of wafer starts per week range.
Synopsys Headquarters - Mountainview, CA
These high cost/low volume dynamics put GF in a position that it couldn’t offer an assured fab process in costly, more modern nodes. However, Intel Foundry Services
committed to offering the US DOD’s RAMP-C program the modern fab process technologies it needs, while partnering with industry ecosystem partners such as Synopsys to enable chip design and prototyping on Intel’s most advanced 18A process node.
Cutting-Edge EDA Tools And IP Are Critical For Enabling Government IFS Support
It’s great that this is all coming together at the same time as the CHIPS Act with Intel Foundry Services, as the US Government also obviously needs to bolster semiconductor manufacturing here state-side, but Intel can’t go it alone in this endeavor. In order to offer “quantifiably assured” design, manufacturing and IP blocks, critical partners like Synopsys, with its DoD Trusted Supplier accredited design services, helps complete the enablement. T
hat enablement consists of many things like Synopsys chip design tools themselves, critical security IP blocks for easy implementation of things like IO and other connectivity technologies, and even specialized redaction technologies with a layer of field programmability that keeps certain aspects of the design secure from even Intel. It could be something as simple as a special frequency the government or military uses, a specialized piece of firmware or any myriad of top-secret aspects of a chip that needs to remain secure throughout the entire semiconductor fab process flow.
And so, as we’re beginning to learn, it takes much more than just the major fab and process commitment that Intel is providing for the US government, aerospace and defense branches, though that too of course is a many billions of dollars investment. Rather, an entire EDA tools, IP and design ecosystem needs to be cultivated for this effort, and Synopsys will be a key enabler of this new leading-edge, US-based Intel Foundry ecosystem.
An entire EDA tools, IP and design ecosystem needs to be cultivated for this effort, and Synopsys will be a key enabler of this new leading-edge, US-based Intel Foundry ecosystem.
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