In a bold stride toward shaping the future of semiconductor design, Siemens Digital Industries Software has launched Calibre® 3DThermal, a groundbreaking tool aimed at advancing the development and verification of 3D integrated circuits (3D-ICs). This new software is set to redefine the landscape for thermal analysis, addressing the intricate challenges posed by next-generation 3D-IC architectures. The announcement comes at a time when the semiconductor industry faces increasing pressure to manage the escalating demands of heat dissipation and reliability in ever-smaller, more complex chip structures.
Calibre 3DThermal integrates seamlessly with Siemens’ renowned Calibre verification suite and leverages the Simcenter™ Flotherm™ software solver engine. This synergy enables chip designers to model, visualize, and mitigate thermal effects from early-stage exploration to final design signoff. This comprehensive approach allows for accurate thermal analysis across entire 3D assemblies, ensuring that issues such as thermal hotspots and material stresses are addressed proactively, well before they threaten design integrity or reliability.
“Historically, single-die designs followed a clear path from concept to tape-out, with well-understood processes to ensure reliability,” explained John Ferguson, Product Management Director for Calibre nmDRC at Siemens, during a recent interview with EDACafe’s Sanjay Gangal. “However, the shift to 3D-ICs introduces new physical phenomena, including thermal effects and mechanical stresses, which can no longer be overlooked.” These issues, Ferguson noted, stem from the complex interactions of multiple chiplets often built with different processes and materials, stacked and interconnected to create a unified circuit.
