中国将改写FD-SOI历史？

编者注：这是《EEtimes》总编Junko Yoshida的文章，她长期跟踪FD-SOI工艺技术发展，她注意到随着成都格芯健康发展，FD-SOI这个被国外看衰的技术在中国真的发展起来，本土业者的推广终于有了回报，以前我也写过类似文章，欢迎阅读和评论。《格罗方德专家深度揭秘FD-SOI工艺四大优势》《深度揭秘格芯成都12寸厂超百亿投资背后的故事》《【深度分析】FD-SOI工艺渐成气候，低功耗高性能工艺有了新选择》

以下是Junko Yoshida文章，中文为eettaiwan编辑翻译。

Globalfoundries和成都市打算靠中国来改写FD-SOI的历史？

继今年2月Globalfoundries的晶圆厂落户成都，双方之间的私营/官方合作伙伴关系进一步延续，于本周二(May 23)发布一项新的1亿美元投资计划，未来将在FDSOI技术基础上，共同“推动中国半导体产业的创新发展”。

Globalfoundries和成都市打算靠中国来改写全耗尽型绝缘上覆矽(FD-SOI)的历史？

Globalfoundries在成都的晶圆厂（来源：Globalfoundries）

此举是为了激起中国更广泛接受non-bulk CMOS技术而迈出的重要一步。这项计划着眼于今日的中国占有全球半导体芯片消费市场的58%以上，而且致力于在全国范围内大力扩展本地的半导体生产能力。

（来源：McClean Report、Gartner以及PricewaterhouseCoopers）

根据PricewaterhouseCoopers在今年发布的报告，2015年时，中国仅占全球半导体产量的16.2%，而今，晶圆制造业正经历前所未有的蓬勃发展，还拥有国家大基金约1,200亿元人民币(超过170亿美元)的扶植，以及当地政府和私人股权投资公司约6,000亿元人民币(约850亿美元)的支持。

中国正乘着这一波晶圆制造之势，共同努力加入存储器产业。在逻辑元件方面，Globalfoundries看来打算与成都联手前进FD-SOI产业——计划在成都建厂，采用Globalfoundries 22FDX FD-SOI技术生产芯片。

最近发布的1亿美元投资预算，将用于成都建立起FD-SOI产业生态系统，而这也是Globalfoundries与成都当局宣布100亿美元建厂投资的一部份。

(来源：IBS、EE Times)

Globalfoundries产品管理资深副总裁Alain Mutricy指出，“在成都投资设厂是第一步。对于Globalfoundries来说，接下来的重点是培育并协助中国新兴的无晶圆厂芯片公司以及设计服务业务。”Mutricy预计会有几家EDA公司(如Synopsys、Cadence等)和IP供应商(如ARM)在成都成立办事处，通过其工具和IP共同支持FD-SOI生态系统。

目前已经决定加入成都FD-SOI生态系统的公司包括Cadence、Synopsys、联发科(MediaTek)、RockChip、VeriSilicon、Invecas以及上海复旦微电子集团(Shanghai Fudan Microelectronics Group Company)等公司。

例如，联发科技(MediaTek)执行副总裁兼共同营运长陈一舟表示：“联发科早在2010年就在成都设立分公司。成都正迅速成为尖端科技公司国际化的目的地，对于这一地区的持续投资，将有助于使其成为Globalfoundries FDX技术的制造和设计卓越中心。”

Globalfoundries的Mutricy强调FD-SOI是打造“具备连接能力的新型嵌入式系统所需的理想技术”，因而将物联网(IoT)、5G和先进驾驶辅助系统(ADAS——实现视觉处理)列为适于导入FD-SOI技术的市场领域。

International Business Strategies (IBS)执行长Handel Jones指出，Globalfoundries的FDX技术“结合了最佳的低功耗FD-SOI技术，可在功耗、性能和成本方面提供即时的权衡。”

FD-SOI将照亮哪一个市场领域（来源：IBS）

只要努力建造，客户自然来？

当然，每个人都喜欢讨论“生态系统”的重要性，特别是关于新技术，因为新的采用者和支持者最令人期待。

以历史作为参考，我们知道要说服习惯了bulk CMOS半导体蓝图的芯片设计者考虑采用FD-SOI技术有多困难。FD-SOI使用在基板整合薄绝缘层的SOI芯片，以抑制泄漏。它还需要芯片设计人员设计针对所选制程技术最佳化的芯片。

对于FD-SOI来说，“只要盖好晶圆厂，客户自然会来”(If you build it [a fab], they will come)长久以来仍只是个理论，而无法梦想成真。

大约在两年前，《EE Times》曾经采访CEA Leti执行长Marie-NoelleSemeria，请她分享Leti(投入大量资源，与Soitec率先研发FD-SOI)从FD-SOI中学到的经验教训——“Leti从FD-SOI学到的一课：打造生态系统”。她指出，作为一家技术先驱，“我们可以从一开始就尝试建立一个涵所有重要参与者的完整生态系统。”

Making it right in China

In short, the ecosystem usually doesn't happen overnight as a spontaneous organic event.  It needs financial muscle, constant prodding and long-term commitment by all the stakeholders.

Have advocates for FD-SOI recognized their past mistakes? Do they see the joint Globalfoundries/Chengdu initiative as a fresh start with a chance to do things right?

Globalfoundries’ Mutricy partially agreed that previous opportunities were bungled. But in his view, this [$100 million investment in the ecosystem] is happening as the market dynamics surrounding FD-SOI have drastically changed.

Of course, those who are designing chips that require the highest performance in processing prefer advanced bulk CMOS technology such as FinFET, he explained. But as the Internet of Things becomes a big focus in China with the demand for smartphones begining to wane, the need for connectivity, RF, analog performance and very low power in chips becomes paramount, said Mutricy. “That’s where FD-SOI will excel,” Mutricy said. 

Flipping Chinese companies to FD-SOI

Globalfoundries believes FD-SOI will appeal to chip designers considering the move from 65nm, 55nm or 40nm to 28nm bulk CMOS technology. 

Wayne Dai, CEO of VeriSilicon, a San Jose-based design service company with deep roots and significant presence in China, agreed.

In his opinion, the anticipated flip from bulk CMOS to FD-SOI will happen in China when chip companies start designing on 22nm FDX, rather than port existing designs from 28nm to 22nm FDX.

He also added that a growing number of leading Chinese chip vendors are “interested in using 22nm FDX.” Among these are RockChip, Spreadtrum, Leadcore and ZTE, he said. 

Dai has played a critical role – often behind the scenes – in prodding China to open its eyes to the option of embracing FD-SOI as an alternative process technology to bulk CMOS. 

This relationship begs the question of whether VeriSilicon become a beneficiary of the announced $100 million investment for FD-SOI?

Dai said, “To be qualified to receive the R&D funding from this FD-SOI ecosystem investment, the companies must have R&D teams in Chengdu.” Noting that VeriSilicon already has 150 engineers in Chengdu and the company has worked on FD-SOI IPs and designs for many years, he said, “VeriSilicon should play an important role in the ecosystem.” Dai believes that other companies expected to be involved in Chengdu include MediaTek, Spreadtrum, HiSilcion and ZTE.

Asked what makes him believe that China can seed a healthy FD-SOI ecosystem, Dai alluded to groundwork FD-SOI proponents have already laid in China. For example, theShanghai FD-SOI Forum, started in 2015, has been pushing FD-SOI design through a number of advocates – FD-SOI practitioners and technology supporters -- speaking before local audience that include chip companies, SoC designers, government officials and private investment funds.

2015 Shanghai FD-SOI Panel: Designing for FD-SOI From left to right: Junko Yoshida, EE Times; Wayne Dai, Verisilicon CEO; John Kibarian, CEO, PDF Solutions; Francois Martin, senior director at STMicroelectronics; Subramani Kengeri, VP at Globalfoundries; Shaojun Wei, president of CSIA; and Dingzhong Xiao, chief engineer at FiberHome Microelectronics

RF, mixed-signal, body bias, embedded memory

Dai explained the likeliest influences on the choices made by Chinese semiconductor companies: “FD-SOI RF is difficult for FinFET to do; body bias is impossible for FinFET to do; embedded memory, in particular MRAM, which will be implemented on FD-SOI earlier than FinFET, among others.” All these factors, he said, “are critical for the deployment FD-SOI, in particular, in IoT segment.”

In nurturing the FD-SOI ecosystem in China, what needs to be put in place in the local market?

Dai listed five: The availability of mixed-signal and RF design using FD-SOI, design service companies such as VeriSilicon, body bias design flow and tools for FD-SOI, design tutorials, workshops, university courses, labs and text books, and government support.

It turns out that Globalfoundries might not be alone in offering FD-SOI chip foundry services in China. Executives from foundry Shanghai Huali Microelectronics Corp. earlier this year shared the company's roadmap. Huali secured $5.9 billion to build a 40,000 wafer/month fab in Shanghai, called Fab 2 scheduled to start operation in mid 2018, to build 28 - 14nm chips. In that Fab 2 plan, Huali included FD-SOI as one of the process technologies the company is planning to offer. 

(Source: Huali) 

Meanwhile, construction of the new Chengdu fab has commenced, with expected completion in early 2018. The fab will begin producing mainstream process technologies in 2018 and then focus on manufacturing 22FDX, with volume production expected to start in 2019.

编译：Susan Hong

你看好FD-SOI工艺未来吗？

热文推荐

推荐近期几篇好文阅读！

如果觉得有价值请欢迎关注我的微信号

关注全球半导体最新科技趋势信息和新兴技术应用，解读半导体产业最新动态，伸出你的小手按一下，我们就是分不开的好朋友啦！