Optional Analytics Problem: Let us consider the following data for a semiconductor design company “X”:

• Actual yield, Y = 0.9
• Die area A = 1.5 cm × 1.5 cm
• Dies are processed on an R = 200 mm diameter wafer at $1500/wafer
• Each mask cost $100,000 (Total 10 masks)
• 5-man development team at $200,000 per designer =
• CAD tool costs are $1,000,000
• Market for this part is 2,000,000 units (Production Volume)

1. If the company wants to make a 10% profit on each chip, what would be the cost of the chip in the market, calculate the cost of each chip for the semiconductor design company X? Show your work:

2. Calculate the number of out-of-spec (due to yield) chips per wafer. Assume that a rogue assembly house want to sell these out-of-spec chips in the market. How much profit will he/she make per each wafer? Show your work:

3. Assume that the foundry reported a lower yield of Y = 0.8 instead of the actual yield (Y = 0.9). How would it affect the cost of each chip for the semiconductor design company X? How much profit will the foundry make per each wafer by reporting a lower yield? Show your work:

4. Assume that the semiconductor design company X have placed a watermark in metal 5 layer to proof the ownership of its chip. The rogue foundry wants to eliminate the given watermark, and sell the chip as its own. To do this, the foundry recurs a cost of $10,000 for reverse engineering and redoing metal 5 layout. Also, the foundry needs to produce a new mask for metal 5. Compare the production cost of each chip of the foundry and company X. Assume that the production volume is the same for both. Show your work:

5. Assume that the semiconductor design company X introduces an active metering technique to address the counterfeit issue. The active metering technique introduces 10% area overhead. Calculate the new cost of each chip with countermeasure. If the company wants to make 10% profit on each chip, what would be the new cost of the chip in the market? Show your work:

Answer rating: 100% (QA)

1 2 3 4 5 Solubion Die L Area TTR area 15cm x 15cm 200mm No of dies Useful dies 2 2... View the full answer