Many of the IoT chips can be made in older, depreciated fabrication plants (0.25um, 180nm, 130nm) that were top-notch 20 years ago. One would argue that foundries have covered every aspect of Electrostatic Discharge (ESD), Electrical Overstress (EOS) and Latch-up in these old processes long ago. However, what we have learned by supporting innovative semiconductor startups is that many of the applications in IoT (Internet of Things) require non-standard on-chip ESD protection clamps for a number of reasons.
Custom ESD requirements
There are several reasons why IC designers developing IoT products require custom ESD solutions
IoT devices frequently use wireless communication. The antenna pads need ESD protection with low parasitic capacitance
ICs for Internet of Things are used in new, sometimes harsh environments. Higher than usual ESD robustness is welcome
To conserve energy, Edge IoT applications should use low leakage ESD protection concepts
Sensor or wireless interfaces or battery connections add unique I/O requirements
Sofics IP for Internet of Things
Key focus areas
A. Wireless interfaces
Sofics IP was used in Bluetooth, NFC, indoor positioning and sensor networks.The wireless interfaces need low-leakage ESD protection for LNA inputs with high Q factor. They also need ESD clamps with low parasitic capacitance. Sofics clamps provide standard ESD robustness and do not require a resistance in the signal path.
B. Beyond standard voltage levels
Our IP was used for sensor interfaces, battery connections and more. We have delivered solutions for high voltage tolerance (5V and higher) and also protected interfaces based on thin oxide transistors (1V and lower) thanks to a flexible but deterministic solution set
C. Battery powered applications
Customers have integrated Sofics ESD in systems running for 10-years on 1 coin battery. The leakage of our ESD cells is 100x lower compared to conventional approach. Huge improvements can be made in stand-by, sleep, operational modes and during power-cycles. Sofics has solutions available for interfaces and rail clamps.
D. Harsh environments
IoT devices are used in new environments, hard-to-reach locations. Sofics IP was used for body-implanted semiconductors. Our ESD clamps are easily scaled to any ESD/EOS protection level. Also Industry 4.0 devices require higher ESD robustness.
IC products from our customers
Our customers have created amazing products in the IoT domain. Examples include indoor positioning with 10-year battery lifetime, low power Bluetooth/NFC devices implanted devices to restore hearing, wearables, smart home and industry 4.0 sensor applications.
“A so comprehensive and detailed work-through of the ESD strategy and actual physical ESD triggering mechanisms has surpassed our expectations. The ESD support has helped increase our confidence to exceed our customer’s specialized requirements”
Erik Fossum Færevaag
Analog Manager, Energy Micro AS of Norway
“We are delighted that our patent application for our unique clipping technology was granted. This PhyStar circuit will reduce cost and risk for many IC companies working on NFC designs”
Koen Verhaege
CEO of Sofics
“This defines one of our key roles in the IP eco-system: reducing time-to-market and optimizing customer profit by mitigating the risk, expenses and delays of ESD re-design”
Koen Verhaege
CEO of Sofics
“Fabless companies will always benefit from a shorter timeline and a lower cost combined with the confidence of a working solution.”
Koen Verhaege
CEO of Sofics
"Sofics and ICsense came up with a solution for us that works at high voltages and provides good ESD protection”
Pete Hughes
Vice President, Mobile, NVIDIA
“PowerQubic provides cost-effective, cutting-edge IC and system-level protection for high-voltage circuit designs”
Koen Verhaege
CEO at Sofics
“We’re gratified that after extensive testing TSMC has selected our technology to help customers protect their high-voltage circuits.”
Koen Verhaege
CEO at Sofics
“Sofics has been a strong supporter of the drive to improve the reliability of electronics, and has achieved several breakthroughs in ESD protection”
Noboru Shiono
Senior Manager of RCJ
“With the addition of TakeCharge on-chip ESD protection design solutions to the UMC IP Alliance Program, UMC customers will have easy access to superior ESD design solutions from an industry wide recognized leader in its field”
Ken Liou
director of the IP and Design Support Division at UMC
“Our alliance with UMC means that customers will achieve shorter design cycles for proven specialty solutions optimized with advanced ESD protection. Together, Sarnoff and UMC can better meet the specialized needs of our customers by bringing cost efficient, higher-quality solutions to market much faster.”
Koen Verhaege
CEO at Sofics
“Sofics combines IP in an advanced design flow with calculation and integration tools, and customized services. They complement the diverse Design Services offered by our portfolio of DCA partners,”
Tom Quan
Deputy Director at the Design Methodology and Service Marketing at TSMC
"Sofics is excited and honored to cooperate with TSMC. Our mission is to empower customers with advanced solutions and tools so they can independently perform successful ESD design, getting it right the first time, every time, regardless of the complexity of the process, application or innovation."
Koen verhaege
CEO at Sofics
“Using Sofics' ESD solutions we significantly lower our technical and business risks and expenses."
Kenji Numata
Senior Manager, System LSI Design Department of Toshiba’s Semiconductor Company
"This makes TakeCharge our standard choice solution for ESD protection, and we offer its unique benefits to our customers."
Kenji Numata
Senior Manager, System LSI Design Department of Toshiba’s Semiconductor Company
"Reuse of TakeCharge IP in Toshiba’s 180nm to 65nm ASIC products has consistently resulted in robust Charged Device Model (CDM), Human Body Model (HBM) and Machine Model (MM) performance.”
Kenji Numata
Senior Manager, System LSI Design Department of Toshiba’s Semiconductor Company
“We are dedicated to Toshiba’s business success in 32nm and beyond, and in the arena of COT and foundry services. The expanded licensing agreement will enable us to further strengthen the technical collaboration with Toshiba’s ESD team in the years to come.”
Koen Verhaege
CEO at Sofics
“As a specialty foundry, it is important that we provide our fabless customers with a wide range of robust and efficient high-performance ESD protection solutions for all their logic and mixed-signal applications"
Dani Ashkenazi
General Manager CMOS Product Line at Tower Semiconductor
"Sofics has consistently been a reliable and expert ESD protection IP partner to the semiconductor industry, making them the natural choice as our partner for these demanding applications.”
Dani Ashkenazi
General Manager CMOS Product Line at Tower Semiconductor
“We are pleased that Tower Semiconductor selected our technology to provide a high quality ESD protection platform. TakeCharge ESD protection solutions are developed with scalability in mind, and thus can meet high-performance requirements, even up to 20kV HBM.”
Koen Verhaege
CEO at Sofics
“We had faced many ESD problems which could not be solved easily two decades ago, especially on thin gate oxide process.
Now, few ESD problems appear in our IC development, thanks to ESD protection technology that has been licensed from Sofics.”
Top-10 Semiconductor company
Director
“We are collaborating with industry-leading IP providers to give our customers access to high-quality IPs. We are pleased to welcome Sofics to our IFS Accelerator IP Alliance”
Suk Lee, VP of Design Ecosystem Development at IFS
Director
“We are collaborating with industry-leading IP providers to give our customers access to high-quality IPs. We look forward to continued collaboration with Sofics to enable our customers to enjoy a proven selection of ESD protection IPs.”
Suk Lee, VP of Design Ecosystem Development at IFS
Director
“We look forward to working with Intel Foundry to support mutual customers with our proprietary ESD technology.”
Koen Verhaege, CEO of Sofics
Director
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