This document discusses the impact of Moore's law on LSI design and fabrication. It notes that while Moore's law enabled faster computers and widespread applications, it also drastically increased costs and required non-disclosure agreements. The document then introduces the MakeLSI project, which aims to make LSI development accessible to all by providing open-source design rules, libraries, tools, and foundry access for NDA-free circuit design and fabrication. The goal is for technology to become a tool for everyone, not just specialists.

1. Interface Device Laboratory, Kanazawa University http://ifdl.jp/
Impact of NDA-Free&Open Source
on LSI Design & Fabrication
Junichi Akita
Kanazawa University

2. 2020/3/13 Interface Device Laboratory, Kanazawa University http://ifdl.jp/
Contents
Introduction & Background
LSI as Tools
Moore’s Law: its two faces
NDA-free & Open Source
LSI Design & Fabrication Project
Design rule
Libraries & Design Flow
Examples

3. 2020/3/13 Interface Device Laboratory, Kanazawa University http://ifdl.jp/
What is “Moore’s Law”
More transistors on Single Chip
Continuous Size Reduction
ref: http://www.intel.com/jp/intel/museum/processor/index.htm

4. 2020/3/13 Interface Device Laboratory, Kanazawa University http://ifdl.jp/
What Did Moore’s Law Achieved?
DEC VAX(1976)
1MIPS
Cray-1 (1978)
100MIPS
MIPS：Million Instruction Per Second
（World’s 1st Super Computer）
“Faster Super Computer” & “So-fast Computer Everywhere”
20000MIPS
10MIPS
100MIPS
20MIPS
20000MIPS
109MFLOPS

5. 2020/3/13 Interface Device Laboratory, Kanazawa University http://ifdl.jp/
Paradigm Shift in “LED Blinking”
No reason to employ MCU for “LED Blinking”
Low Cost, High Functionality
Extended practical application area of computer
“Feature Size Reduction” is NOT the only way
MCU
#Component=1
$1
Oscillator(555)
#Component=4
$1.5
while(1){
a = 1;
sleep(1);
a = 0;
sleep(1);
}
Possible, but non-realistic by PC

6. 2020/3/13 Interface Device Laboratory, Kanazawa University http://ifdl.jp/
What Did Moore’s Law Caused?
Drastic Increase in LSI Design & Fabrication Cost
Shuttle Fabrication Service 〜$1k
Initial Fabrication Cost (Masks) 〜$1M
Design Tools 〜$1M
NDA (Non Disclosure Agreement) : Priceless
Fabrication Facilities 〜$1G

7. 2020/3/13 Interface Device Laboratory, Kanazawa University http://ifdl.jp/
What NDA affects?
We can’t share the designed circuits
on GitHub…!
We can’t fork the designed circuits by others…!

8. 2020/3/13 Interface Device Laboratory, Kanazawa University http://ifdl.jp/
Is “LSI” a Tool for Everyone?: Survey
CMOS 0.18um 5Al
2.5mm x 2.5mm
RingOSC x 1001
T-FF (Div)
（※LSI＝集積回路のこと）
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pt9i2ABe_mE
Comments: Stupid, Waste of tech, Mottainai, …
= “LSI is NOT a “true” tool for realizing something

9. 2020/3/13 Interface Device Laboratory, Kanazawa University http://ifdl.jp/
Is “LSI” a Tool for Everyone?
Most people CAN’T imagine
to “design original LSIs”
Too expensive, Too complicated, No Experiences
Most people simply consider to buy LSI
MCU, Sensors, …
Lots Realized
Restrictions in Thinking: Using Exsisting LSI
Everyone use Kinect, few can invent Kinect
Losing Chance of Innovation

10. 2020/3/13 Interface Device Laboratory, Kanazawa University http://ifdl.jp/
What Required for “LSI as Tool”?
CAD Tool
Too Expensive Commercial Tools
Too Complicated CAD System
Fabrication Service
Too Expensive, Too Long TAT (several months)
Strict NDA s
User Community
Specialists who know not only “How to design”,
but also “What to use” LSIs.

11. 2020/3/13 Interface Device Laboratory, Kanazawa University http://ifdl.jp/
MakeLSI: - Outline
Know-how Sharing
Freeware CAD
Basic Knowledges
Community
100+ in ML
LSI Specialists & Non-specialists
NDA-Free Design & Fabrication
http://ifdl.jp/make_lsi

12. 2020/3/13 Interface Device Laboratory, Kanazawa University http://ifdl.jp/
MakeLSI: - Design Rule
1um-grid rule
Can “satisfy” some fab’s
design rules
PTS 0.6um (JP)
HHGrace0.35um (CN)
…
Independent on fab’s
“limit” of design rule
= NDA-free
https://github.com/makelsi/OpenRule1um

13. 2020/3/13 Interface Device Laboratory, Kanazawa University http://ifdl.jp/
MakeLSI: - Libraries
Standard Logic Cells
Analog Components (under development)
Distributed development
by contributors

14. 2020/3/13 Interface Device Laboratory, Kanazawa University http://ifdl.jp/
MakeLSI: - Tools
Layout Tool: Glade, K-Layout
Circuit Simulator: LTspice / Spice3
Logic Synthesize & P&R: Alliance, Qflow
*Open Source Softwares
RISC-V processor (subset)

15. 2020/3/13 Interface Device Laboratory, Kanazawa University http://ifdl.jp/
MakeLSI: - Fabrication
Commercial Fab’s shuttle
Phenitec Semiconductors (JP)
HH Grace (CN) : (will try soon)
(Future) minimalfab by AIST, Japan
0.5in wafer, Mask-less exposure, 1week TAT
Order custom LSI like PCB…!

16. 2020/3/13 Interface Device Laboratory, Kanazawa University http://ifdl.jp/
MakeLSI: - 1st Trial in 2015
8 Contributors
Free fee, Open & Share Contents
11 Circuits
Kilburn Adder
Guitar Effector
1bit CPU
4-16 Decoder
Ring VCO, LC-VCO, BGR
Wide Variety, Passionate Activity
Saw Oscillator
OPA
MOSFET TEGs
Timer“555”

17. 2020/3/13 Interface Device Laboratory, Kanazawa University http://ifdl.jp/
MakeLSI: - 2nd Trial in 2016
11 Contributors
Free fee, Open & Share Contents
12 Circuits
ALU
Guitar Effector
RingOSC
PSG
Delta-sigma ADC
Wide Variety, Passionate Activity
R-2R DAC
NRZI Codec
GoldCoder
Inverter, FA
Timer“555”

18. 2020/3/13 Interface Device Laboratory, Kanazawa University http://ifdl.jp/
Summary
Effect of Moore’s Law
High Performance & Wide Spread of Applications
Drastic Increase of Cost and Requirement of NDA
Technology MUST become a Tool for Everyone
Wide application, Seed of innovation
NDA-free & Open Source LSI Development
Open framework, NDA-Free
Rapid development & improvement in IP