Periodic Reporting for period 2 - EUROPRACTICE 2016 (EUROPRACTICE training, CAD and prototyping services for European universities and research institut)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2017-07-01 al 2018-12-31
The electronic system and semiconductor industry has been a key contributor to European economic growth and prosperity, and an important enabler of European success in the communications, consumer electronics, industrial machinery, and automotive industries. This sector will also provide solutions for the important issues in our society and serve as the foundation for progress in energy conservation, renewable energy, transportation, telecommunication, biotechnology, medical, and many other fields. Semiconductors are critical to European industry and welfare and must be prioritized to keep the European industry competitive.
In order to ensure that Europe remains competitive in new product design (IP, IC, MEMS, heterogeneous systems) and prevent all aspects of design being outsourced in the future to other regions like Asia, it is absolutely necessary that European industry has enough high quality well-trained SoC design engineers.
Consequently, universities must continue to have access to state-of-the-art CAD tools and prototype fabrication for IC, MEMS and heterogeneous technologies.
For over 20 years, the European Commission has supported EUROPRACTICE which offers European universities, researchers and SMEs appropriate access to CAD tools, advanced technologies and training to support their education, prototyping and small volume production.
The main goal of the project is to have a continuation of the EUROPRACTICE services that is widely recognized as a world-leading service offering state-of-the-art CAD tools and technologies to universities and industry.
In order to ensure that Europe remains competitive in new product design (IP, IC, MEMS, heterogeneous systems) and prevent all aspects of design being outsourced in the future to other regions like Asia, it is absolutely necessary that European industry has enough high quality well-trained SoC design engineers.
Consequently, universities must continue to have access to state-of-the-art CAD tools and prototype fabrication for IC, MEMS and heterogeneous technologies.
For over 20 years, the European Commission has supported EUROPRACTICE which offers European universities, researchers and SMEs appropriate access to CAD tools, advanced technologies and training to support their education, prototyping and small volume production.
The main goal of the project is to have a continuation of the EUROPRACTICE services that is widely recognized as a world-leading service offering state-of-the-art CAD tools and technologies to universities and industry.
1.2.1 Work package 1 – Project Management
Effective project management is required in order to manage, harmonize and plan the activities conducted in the entire EUROPRACTICE2016 project. During this reporting period, very regularly project management meetings took place, plus in addition several meetings with CMP and Tyndall to discuss future collaboration.
In addition, another Advisory Committee meeting took place in December 2017, which focuses on continuation of the service and mini@sic sustainability.
1.2.2 Work package 2 – System and IC design tools
The Europractice Design Tool portfolio has continued to evolve to reflect the requirements of the users and the need to provide stimulation in new areas of strategic importance.
The Europractice Design Tool Portfolio has a vast number of modules available covering a wide range of application areas from the world’s leading design tool vendors. The portfolio is ever changing to keep pace with the state-of-the-art.
The member institutes of Europractice must pay a membership fee each year in order to continue to participate. In the most recent complete year (October 2017 to September 2018) there were 612 paid members who had their memberships renewed and had the design tool licenses renewed, upgraded and enhanced with new features.
1.2.3 Work package 3 – IC technologies
In the first reporting period, a total of 530 designs were fabricated, while in the second reporting period a similar number of designs (i.e. 520) were recorded. In the extended period of the project, another 139 designs were fabricated. Most of customers use the TSMC technologies with a focus on 65 nm, because this 65 nm technology has the best price to performance relation at present. Still there is a large amount for ams technologies with focus on precision analog and sensor structures. And especially, the 0.35 μm ams technology is very popular with European industry. UMC is also a very often used foundry. The customer interest in GLOBALFOUNDRIES technologies is clearly growing with only 6 submissions in the first reporting period, but already 14 designs fabricated in the second period. Especially, the 22nm FDSOI is getting very popular with 10 design submissions over the entire project.
1.2.4 Work package 4 – Extension towards More-than-Moore technologies
Europractice offers different More-than-Moore technologies to its customers, ranging from opto-electronics processes to Si-Photonics and MEMS. These technology options are offered through 8 different foundries. In the first reporting period, a total of 56 designs were fabricated, while in the second reporting period a significant higher number of designs (i.e. 79) were recorded. In the extended period of the project, another 32 designs were fabricated.
In addition, Europractice also has a wide range of design tools for PCBs, MEMS and photonics which are constantly evolving by the addition of new vendors such as Synopsys and functionality enhancements to existing tools under the annual upgrade mechanism.
1.2.5 Work package 5 – Mini@sic and Stimulation actions
In this last reporting period, a considerably lower amount of mini@sic subsidy was consumed, which is thanks to the actions taken after the first review meeting. As the experts advised, the consortium should explore a more sustainable and better under-control business scheme. The latter has been done by actions, such as removal of some technologies from the mini@sic scheme.
In addition, two different special Stimulation Actions for first users were conducted. The first Stimulation Action focused on the design of ASICs, while the second one focused on More-than-Moore designs. From the 30 selected designs in EUROPRACTICE2016 eventually 20 were fabricated.
1.2.6 Work package 6 – Training
EUROPRACTICE2016 delivered training courses on carefully selected topics that are relevant to the European academic sector and typical within European Industry.
During the reporting period, we delivered 35 courses and one in-depth technical seminar of 19 different types to the Europractice members. A total of 352 delegates from 146 Europractice members of 30 countries attended a training course and 1216 training days were delivered during this reporting period.
1.2.7 Work package 7 – Dissemination
During this reporting period, a number of conferences were visited where the EUROPRACTICE services were presented by means of a booth, a poster or presentations. The most important ones to mention were ISSCC, ESSCIRC/ESSDERC, DATE and DAC. In addition, at the end of each year an Annual Report has been issued, which includes overview of the design tools, membership and selected examples of ASIC projects completed by the Europractice membership.
Effective project management is required in order to manage, harmonize and plan the activities conducted in the entire EUROPRACTICE2016 project. During this reporting period, very regularly project management meetings took place, plus in addition several meetings with CMP and Tyndall to discuss future collaboration.
In addition, another Advisory Committee meeting took place in December 2017, which focuses on continuation of the service and mini@sic sustainability.
1.2.2 Work package 2 – System and IC design tools
The Europractice Design Tool portfolio has continued to evolve to reflect the requirements of the users and the need to provide stimulation in new areas of strategic importance.
The Europractice Design Tool Portfolio has a vast number of modules available covering a wide range of application areas from the world’s leading design tool vendors. The portfolio is ever changing to keep pace with the state-of-the-art.
The member institutes of Europractice must pay a membership fee each year in order to continue to participate. In the most recent complete year (October 2017 to September 2018) there were 612 paid members who had their memberships renewed and had the design tool licenses renewed, upgraded and enhanced with new features.
1.2.3 Work package 3 – IC technologies
In the first reporting period, a total of 530 designs were fabricated, while in the second reporting period a similar number of designs (i.e. 520) were recorded. In the extended period of the project, another 139 designs were fabricated. Most of customers use the TSMC technologies with a focus on 65 nm, because this 65 nm technology has the best price to performance relation at present. Still there is a large amount for ams technologies with focus on precision analog and sensor structures. And especially, the 0.35 μm ams technology is very popular with European industry. UMC is also a very often used foundry. The customer interest in GLOBALFOUNDRIES technologies is clearly growing with only 6 submissions in the first reporting period, but already 14 designs fabricated in the second period. Especially, the 22nm FDSOI is getting very popular with 10 design submissions over the entire project.
1.2.4 Work package 4 – Extension towards More-than-Moore technologies
Europractice offers different More-than-Moore technologies to its customers, ranging from opto-electronics processes to Si-Photonics and MEMS. These technology options are offered through 8 different foundries. In the first reporting period, a total of 56 designs were fabricated, while in the second reporting period a significant higher number of designs (i.e. 79) were recorded. In the extended period of the project, another 32 designs were fabricated.
In addition, Europractice also has a wide range of design tools for PCBs, MEMS and photonics which are constantly evolving by the addition of new vendors such as Synopsys and functionality enhancements to existing tools under the annual upgrade mechanism.
1.2.5 Work package 5 – Mini@sic and Stimulation actions
In this last reporting period, a considerably lower amount of mini@sic subsidy was consumed, which is thanks to the actions taken after the first review meeting. As the experts advised, the consortium should explore a more sustainable and better under-control business scheme. The latter has been done by actions, such as removal of some technologies from the mini@sic scheme.
In addition, two different special Stimulation Actions for first users were conducted. The first Stimulation Action focused on the design of ASICs, while the second one focused on More-than-Moore designs. From the 30 selected designs in EUROPRACTICE2016 eventually 20 were fabricated.
1.2.6 Work package 6 – Training
EUROPRACTICE2016 delivered training courses on carefully selected topics that are relevant to the European academic sector and typical within European Industry.
During the reporting period, we delivered 35 courses and one in-depth technical seminar of 19 different types to the Europractice members. A total of 352 delegates from 146 Europractice members of 30 countries attended a training course and 1216 training days were delivered during this reporting period.
1.2.7 Work package 7 – Dissemination
During this reporting period, a number of conferences were visited where the EUROPRACTICE services were presented by means of a booth, a poster or presentations. The most important ones to mention were ISSCC, ESSCIRC/ESSDERC, DATE and DAC. In addition, at the end of each year an Annual Report has been issued, which includes overview of the design tools, membership and selected examples of ASIC projects completed by the Europractice membership.
The primary impact of Europractice is realised by the long term strategic partnership between the Europractice service and the Member institutes. This operational model provides large gain enabling many more European Training, Research and Innovation activities to take place than could possibly be undertaken by a single consortium, regardless of its size.
Europractice has two levels of exploitation and dissemination of results:
• Direct from Europractice to the Member institutes
• Indirect from the ~600 Member institutes to the wider community
Europractice has two levels of exploitation and dissemination of results:
• Direct from Europractice to the Member institutes
• Indirect from the ~600 Member institutes to the wider community