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Phill Christie is a Principal Scientist
and leads the Business & Technology
Strategy Group at imec IC-link.
analog circuit blocks to implement
this functionality do not benefit very
much from aggressive feature size
scaling. The costs for implementing
production prototypes with such
foundry technologies are extremely
low. Using imec IC-link’s multi-project
wafer (MPW) service, a company can
produce a prototype run of a 25mm2
ASIC in the extremely popular 180nm
technology with 45 samples for as
little as $16,000.
Number of ASIC projects as a function
of technology node. Source imec IC-
link database.
Here comes substream innovation
The use of ASICs coupled with low-
cost foundry technologies is giving rise
to a new wave of technology-based
innovation. But this would not be
possible if the ASICs would not protect
the IP. Together, accessible low-cost
technologies and IP protection have
enabled SMEs with great ideas to
gain access to lucrative, high growth,
global markets. We refer to this as
substream innovation and like to
think it would be easily recognizable
to those earlier business adventurers
looking for opportunities in the New
World.
Read
To
Lead
www. new- techeurope . com
New-Tech Magazine Europe l 37