Samsung Foundry-Arm’s FDSOI collaboration sets a path for next-generation high performance, low power semiconductor devices

The challenge with designing at newer and more advanced process nodes is that things generally don’t get less complex and expensive, much as we might want this. Still, the upside to each new process node, generally, is that you can build more highly efficient and targeted devices to address more markets and applications in a timely fashion.

For the complexity and cost challenges, however, there’s good news: Arm and Samsung Foundry just announced a comprehensive, foundry-sponsored physical IP platform, including an eMRAM compiler at 18FDS (18nm FDSOI). In addition, the Arm offerings for 18FDS include three POP IP packages for Arm Cortex-A55, Cortex-R52 and Cortex-M33 processor IP. 

The platform will help drive new leading-edge designs in power-sensitive applications in 5G, artificial intelligence (AI), automotive, Internet of Things (IoT), and other market segments. It’s the industry’s first, fully comprehensive physical IP platform that includes an eMRAM compiler at 18FDS.

28nm: Before the breakthrough

One of the most widely embraced nodes, 28nm the so-called “forever node,” has done wonders for industry innovation over the years. However, leakage power is still challenging for planar transistors. Engineers deployed high-K metal gate (HKMG) at 28nm, to combat leakage, but it’s still an issue. That’s because the channel underneath the gate is too deep and too far from the gate to be well-controlled, which results in higher leakage power.

Solutions for the leakage issue have prompted designers to embrace FinFETs and FDSOI (fully-depleted silicon-on-insulator) with thinner channels that enable greater control by the gate. Indeed, FDSOI is gaining traction in the market place.

By construction, 28nm FDSOI enables much better transistor electrostatic characteristics versus conventional bulk technology. 28nm FDSOI offers:

• Wide Forward/Reverse Body-bias range and flexible Poly bias (PB) range to tradeoff power/performance.
• Better performance and power than bulk process technology.
• Better resistance to radiation and SER.
• Less sensitive to variability because there’s no channel doping.
• Ultra-low power voltage (operating at low voltages in the hundreds of millivolts range).
• Easy migration from bulk versus the previous SOI version, PDSOI (partially-depleted silicon-on-insulator), required unique timing and power models.

What’s more, there are cost benefits today and more forecast for the future.

Arm and Samsung Foundry extend FDSOI leadership from 28FDS to 18FDS

In 2018, Arm announced the industry’s first Embedded MRAM (eMRAM) compiler IP built on Samsung Foundry’s 28FDS process technology. Since the announcement, Arm has engaged with several Samsung Advanced Foundry Ecosystem (SAFE^TM) partners on a landscape-changing collaboration to deliver the industry’s first 28FDS eMRAM-enabled IoT silicon system demonstrator telling the Arm IoT story on Samsung Foundry silicon.

Coupled with Arm’s IoT ecosystem, Pelion IoT Platform and Platform Security Architecture (PSA) solutions, this 28FDS eMRAM-enabled IoT demonstrator will showcase a new-generation of secure and energy-efficient IoT edge devices which integrates software stacks offering secure boot, firmware updates, on-chip storage, chip to cloud communication and device/software provisioning. The combination of 28FDS and eMRAM non-volatile memory brings new opportunities for a new class of highly integrated and energy-efficient designs.

We’re thrilled that Samsung Foundry has extended its successful collaboration on FDSOI technology from 28FDS process to 18FDS. With the new platform, 18FDS is a cost reduction solution with lower power and same back end of line (BEOL) as 14nm FinFET. It has RF and eMRAM support to enable the widest range of different applications.

“18FDS is the next-generation node on Samsung's FD-SOI roadmap with enhanced power, performance, and area (PPA)," said Jaehong Park, executive vice president of Design Platform Development at Samsung Electronics. “The relationship between Samsung Foundry and Arm stretches back more than a decade and has helped put the right design technology in the hands of the world’s leading designers. The enhanced PPA from our 18FDS process combined with Arm cores and Artisan Physical IP will again bring the cost and time-to-market advantages to enable the competitive and differentiated SoC designs.”

Highlights on Arm-Samsung 18FDS platform

• Includes seven memory compilers, three logic libraries, two (1.8 and 3.3V) GPIO libraries, three POP IPs and the eMRAM memory compiler.
• Supports automotive AEC-Q100 Grade 1 design requirements, and comes with ASIL-D support and a complete automotive safety package.
• Utilizes back biasing supported by the FDSOI technology to help achieve low leakage by using reverse body-bias technique or a performance boost using forward body-biasing. This is a key differentiation of 18FDS platform.
• Supports Logic Corner Generator (LCG) and Memory Compiler Corner Generator (MCCG). LCG and MCCG products allow designers to generate custom corners with body-bias voltages to take the maximum advantage of body biasing power-performance flexibility.

18FDS will help enable the development of new devices connecting consumers in entirely new ways, whether it’s in AI, 5G mobile, automotive or other areas. The platform will be available in late 2019.

Arm's Physical Design Group has a track record of successful implementations with Samsung Foundry across multiple generations of process nodes and products. Besides 28/18FDS, Samsung Foundry and Arm also have 14LPP/LPC, 11LPP, 7LPP and 5LPE platform collaborations.

Interested in knowing more about Artisan Physical IP at 28/18FDS?

Come join us at SOI Silicon Valley Symposium on April 9 at Double Tree by Hilton, San Jose, California. During the event, you will have the opportunity to hear how Arm and other industry leaders work together to accelerate the adoption of FDSOI technologies including products and applications.

Alternatively, you can also reach out to us with your inquiry.