25-08-2017, 09:32 PM
ASIC Technology for the Implementation of System-on-a-Chip
[attachment=39234]
ABSTRACT:
The rapid advances in multimedia technology—together with
current computer, communications, and consumer-oriented media
technology—are having a major impact on our everyday lifestyle. This trend
has been largely due to recent advances in emerging VLSI and ULSI
semiconductor technology. Multimedia products need to provide highperformance
capabilities at low-power dissipation levels in compact
packages at affordable prices. The application of semiconductors, however,
poses a few technically contradictory problems. These technological issues
can be resolved using application specific IC (ASIC) technology with its
ability to implement the so-called system-on-a-chip. The many hi-tech
appliances that surround us today — like the handheld computers, car
navigation systems, digital cameras, computer games, and the ubiquitous
cellular phones — owe their existence to this emerging ASIC technology.
Hitachi is fully committed to the system-on-a-chip design paradigm through
the promotion of the embedded microprocessor ASIC, known as the mCBIC
(micro-cell-based IC), with support for CPU cores for the SuperH and H8
microprocessor series plus a plethora of analog circuit blocks and other
intellectual property (IP) modules. Our current flagship product, the DRAMASIC,
is also making new in-roads into the multimedia marketplace. Our
newest standard cell product, the HG75C Series, shipped recently and is
based on the state-of-the-art 0.18-mm process technology. In the future new
products with this advanced process will be released as mCBICs or DRAMASICs,
or both.
INTRODUCTION
THE demand for higher functionality and technical
complexity, and the implementation of smaller device
size and lower power dissipation, present demanding
technological challenges that need to be resolved for
the emerging multimedia and portable markets. Today,
a major problem is how to deal with time-to-market
cycles (sales cycles) due to shorter product lifetimes
and shorter design and development cycles.
The solution is already here in the form of the
system-on-a-chip ASIC fully capable of integrating
microprocessor, memory, and analog circuits — and
gate-array elements — all on a single chip. The main
characteristics of these highly flexible ASIC products
are value-added features like highly functional
performance and high operating speed.
Innovation in ASIC technology is closely linked to
the evolution of process technology. In the past, we
advanced from 3-mm gate arrays to 0.8-mm cell-based
ICs with on-chip compiled RAM and ROM memory.
Then, at the 0.5-mm process level, we introduced a
ASIC Technology for the Implementation of
System-on-a-Chip
Takayuki Suzuki
Kaoru Saito
CPU core-based ASIC with embedded analog circuits
that integrated a 32-bit reduced instruction set
computer (RISC) core together with analog-to-digital
converter (ADC) and digital-to-analog converter
(DAC) modules. At 0.35-mm, the trend is to integrate
dynamic RAM (DRAM) with logic on a single chip.
With the state-of-the-art 0.18-mm process technology,
the micro-cell-based IC (mCBIC) and the DRAMASIC
will be fully enhanced to provide the systemon-
a-chip solutions shown in Fig. 1.
In this article, we discuss the salient features,
superiority, and future prospects of the mCBIC and the
new DRAM ASIC and Hitachi system-on-a-chip
paradigm.
DRAM-ASIC Process Technology
DRAM fabrication employs three ‘tried-and-tested’
memory-cell process methods: the planar method, the
trench method, and the stack method — each with its
own merits and demerits. The planar method, which
provides the best compatibility match with the logic
process, is ill-suited to high-density integration. The
trench method, while providing optimum logic
performance and a high level of surface flatness, falls
short of the stack method in terms of integration
density, because of the need to implement logic
isolation.
AS MODULE EXPANSION
Recent user demand for system-on-a-chip products
has spurred silicon vendors into providing a plethora
of new application specific (AS) modules, also known
as intellectual property (IP) modules, that are finding
wide use in video and computer applications.
Hitachi is currently developing products for Joint
Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) NTSC/PAL
encoders, RAMDAC used in still picture and video
applications; also computer peripheral implementations
of the following standards: IEEE P1284/P1394;
Universal Serial Bus (USB); Peripheral Component
Interconnect (PCI) bus; Personal Computer Memory
Card International Association (PCMCIA)interface,
and Infrared Data Association (IrDA) interface
[attachment=39234]
ABSTRACT:
The rapid advances in multimedia technology—together with
current computer, communications, and consumer-oriented media
technology—are having a major impact on our everyday lifestyle. This trend
has been largely due to recent advances in emerging VLSI and ULSI
semiconductor technology. Multimedia products need to provide highperformance
capabilities at low-power dissipation levels in compact
packages at affordable prices. The application of semiconductors, however,
poses a few technically contradictory problems. These technological issues
can be resolved using application specific IC (ASIC) technology with its
ability to implement the so-called system-on-a-chip. The many hi-tech
appliances that surround us today — like the handheld computers, car
navigation systems, digital cameras, computer games, and the ubiquitous
cellular phones — owe their existence to this emerging ASIC technology.
Hitachi is fully committed to the system-on-a-chip design paradigm through
the promotion of the embedded microprocessor ASIC, known as the mCBIC
(micro-cell-based IC), with support for CPU cores for the SuperH and H8
microprocessor series plus a plethora of analog circuit blocks and other
intellectual property (IP) modules. Our current flagship product, the DRAMASIC,
is also making new in-roads into the multimedia marketplace. Our
newest standard cell product, the HG75C Series, shipped recently and is
based on the state-of-the-art 0.18-mm process technology. In the future new
products with this advanced process will be released as mCBICs or DRAMASICs,
or both.
INTRODUCTION
THE demand for higher functionality and technical
complexity, and the implementation of smaller device
size and lower power dissipation, present demanding
technological challenges that need to be resolved for
the emerging multimedia and portable markets. Today,
a major problem is how to deal with time-to-market
cycles (sales cycles) due to shorter product lifetimes
and shorter design and development cycles.
The solution is already here in the form of the
system-on-a-chip ASIC fully capable of integrating
microprocessor, memory, and analog circuits — and
gate-array elements — all on a single chip. The main
characteristics of these highly flexible ASIC products
are value-added features like highly functional
performance and high operating speed.
Innovation in ASIC technology is closely linked to
the evolution of process technology. In the past, we
advanced from 3-mm gate arrays to 0.8-mm cell-based
ICs with on-chip compiled RAM and ROM memory.
Then, at the 0.5-mm process level, we introduced a
ASIC Technology for the Implementation of
System-on-a-Chip
Takayuki Suzuki
Kaoru Saito
CPU core-based ASIC with embedded analog circuits
that integrated a 32-bit reduced instruction set
computer (RISC) core together with analog-to-digital
converter (ADC) and digital-to-analog converter
(DAC) modules. At 0.35-mm, the trend is to integrate
dynamic RAM (DRAM) with logic on a single chip.
With the state-of-the-art 0.18-mm process technology,
the micro-cell-based IC (mCBIC) and the DRAMASIC
will be fully enhanced to provide the systemon-
a-chip solutions shown in Fig. 1.
In this article, we discuss the salient features,
superiority, and future prospects of the mCBIC and the
new DRAM ASIC and Hitachi system-on-a-chip
paradigm.
DRAM-ASIC Process Technology
DRAM fabrication employs three ‘tried-and-tested’
memory-cell process methods: the planar method, the
trench method, and the stack method — each with its
own merits and demerits. The planar method, which
provides the best compatibility match with the logic
process, is ill-suited to high-density integration. The
trench method, while providing optimum logic
performance and a high level of surface flatness, falls
short of the stack method in terms of integration
density, because of the need to implement logic
isolation.
AS MODULE EXPANSION
Recent user demand for system-on-a-chip products
has spurred silicon vendors into providing a plethora
of new application specific (AS) modules, also known
as intellectual property (IP) modules, that are finding
wide use in video and computer applications.
Hitachi is currently developing products for Joint
Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) NTSC/PAL
encoders, RAMDAC used in still picture and video
applications; also computer peripheral implementations
of the following standards: IEEE P1284/P1394;
Universal Serial Bus (USB); Peripheral Component
Interconnect (PCI) bus; Personal Computer Memory
Card International Association (PCMCIA)interface,
and Infrared Data Association (IrDA) interface