Keysight, Synopsys, Ansys Accelerate RFIC Semiconductor Design

SINGAPORE, October 02, 2023 – Keysight Technologies Inc., Synopsys Inc and Ansys announced a new reference flow for the leading semiconductor manufacturing company TSMC N4PRF’s 4 nanometre (nm) radio frequency (RF) FinFET process technology.

Next-generation wireless systems feature higher bandwidth, more connected devices, lower latency, and broader coverage. To this end, the Synopsys Custom Design Family provides a comprehensive RF design solution for customers seeking high predictive accuracy and productivity. Designers are furnished with a choice of best-in-class solutions including validated integrations with radio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC) design and interactive electromagnetic (EM) analysis tools from Keysight and EM modelling and signoff power integrity solutions from Ansys.

Critical design features such as low noise amplifiers (LNAs) and LC-tuned voltage-controlled oscillators (LC VCOs) are used to carry out thorough validation in the Synopsys Custom Compiler design and layout environments. The reference flow features tools that enable efficient passive device synthesis, EM model extraction, thermal-aware electromigration analysis that has been extended to include the correct handling of circuit under inductor (CUI) structures.

In addition to Synopsys Custom Compiler, the open, modern reference flow incorporates:

Signoff accuracy circuit simulation performance from Synopsys PrimeSim simulation tools and PrimeSim Reliability Environment, and signoff physical verification and extraction solutions from Synopsys IC Validator and Synopsys StarRC .

Ansys Totem provides thermal-aware signoff electromigration verification and power integrity analysis (EM/IR). RaptorX and Exalto provide electromagnetic modeling, with unique CUI features enabling significant area reductions. VeloceRF delivers fully automatic silicon layout synthesis for electromagnetic devices including multi-layer inductor spiral, baluns/transformers, and transmission lines.

Keysight PathWave ADS RFPro provides rapid, interactive EM-circuit co-simulation and analysis to find and fix layout-dependent-effects up front in the development cycle. PathWave RFIC design (GoldenGate) supports harmonic balance simulation in early chip design and verification process.

According to Niels Faché, vice president and general manager, Keysight EDA: “Keysight, Synopsys, and Ansys have expanded their strategic technology collaboration with TSMC to deliver the next level in RF design for TSMC’s advanced 4nm RF technology. We’ve witnessed RF designers struggling to use older-generation solutions and flows that were never intended for today’s WiFi-7 system-on-chip and RF subsystem designs. New layout-dependent-effects make detailed simulation and modeling that is signoff accurate a must-have.”

Sanjay Bali, vice president strategy and product management EDA Group, Synopsys, said: “Synopsys, Ansys, and Keysight have harnessed decades of expertise in custom analog, RF, and multi-physics design to reduce risk and accelerate success for our mutual customers. Our latest collaboration with Ansys and Keysight on the new RF design reference flow supporting TSMC’s advanced N4P process provides an open and optimised flow that delivers exceptional quality-of-results for advanced WiFi-7 systems.”

John Lee, vice president and general manager, electronics, semiconductor, optics business at Ansys, said: “Multiphysics raises novel challenges for our customers to optimise power, area, reliability, and performance as RF frequencies climb into the millimetre wave and sub-THz range. First-pass customer success depends upon applying best-in-class solutions across the design flow. Our partnership with Keysight and Synopsys is working closely with TSMC to make our industry-leading power integrity and electromagnetic modelling technology available in a custom design flow that responds to the needs of high-speed circuit designers.”