1、1The State of Semiconductors ReportKey Insights from Industry LeadersMethodics IPLM by Perforce Perforce Software,Inc.All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.(0120EH22)2IntroductionWelcome to the results of our State of Semiconductor survey.At the end of

2、last year,we surveyed professionals across the semiconductor industry,representing a range of job roles,company sizes,and years of experience.They shared their insights on semiconductor design best practices,the future of manufacturing,and its impact on Moores Law.They also discussed IP-based design

3、 techniques,the prevalence of component-based methodologies,and the increasing amount of embedded software as part of SoCs list of deliverables.We hope this survey will lend insight into the future of semiconductor design to help prepare your team for the challenges ahead.Thank you to everyone that

4、participated in the survey!Simon Butler General Manager,Methodics by PerforceMethodics IPLM by Perforce Perforce Software,Inc.All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.(0120EH22)3Table of Contents4Semiconductor Industry Trends10Biggest Challenges in Semicon

5、ductor Design13Semiconductor Design Tools Used by Industry Leaders18Summary:The State of Semiconductors18Who We SurveyedKey Takeaways The semiconductor industry is trending toward component-based design and IP reuse to expedite time-to-market and maintain margins.Compliance remains a largely manual

6、process and an ongoing challenge for organizations.Organizations are increasingly moving towards platform embedded software solutions,creating a need for tighter hardware/software codesign and validation.Analog designs remain a vital component,as an increasing number of analog components are being c

7、ombined on the SoC.Semiconductor manufacturing of processes 5nm and smaller is becoming increasingly complex and expensive,causing alternative manufacturing approaches to become more attractive.With an increasing number of semiconductor products needing to meet compliance and/or functional safety st

8、andards,traceability represents a major concern.Methodics IPLM by Perforce Perforce Software,Inc.All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.(0120EH22)4Semiconductor Industry TrendsThe semiconductor industry is rapidly growing and is expected to hit$808.5 bil

9、lion by 2030.It is propelled by the increased use of semiconductor chips in vehicles,Artificial Intelligence(AI),data processing,and other smart devices applications.In fact,PWC is projecting that the market for AI-related semiconductors alone will grow in revenue to more than$30 billion by 2022 at

10、an annual growth rate of nearly 50%.Meanwhile,semiconductor chips are becoming smaller,faster,and more powerful.They are offering more flexibility and functionality.But as designs become more complex,there is an increased need for verification capacity and next-generation verification techniques.At

11、the same time,functional safety compliance which relies on full traceability and rigorous documentation processes is becoming increasingly important.To accelerate time-to-market,and adhere to compliance,organizations are relying on IP reuse.Having a more granular approach to design and promoting reu

12、se is transformative for companies,increasing R&D efficiencies by at least 20%.Due to global supply chain issues and an inflated demand due to broadened chip usage,semiconductors have become commoditized,and competition is compounding.Recent United States legislation is incentivizing domestic semico

13、nductor chip manufacturing to boost growth even further.This trend shows no signs of slowing down in the coming years as the use of semiconductors expands into new applications.Related Blog:The Future of SemiconductorsSemiconductor Industry TrendsMethodics IPLM by Perforce Perforce Software,Inc.All

14、trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.(0120EH22)5Time to Market and IP Reuse Are Most Important Issues For Semiconductor OrganizationAccording to respondents,the two most important issues facing their organization were time-to-market(55%)and IP reuse(45%).T

15、hese issues are closely intertwined.According to a recent study by the University of Michigan,semiconductor design productivity is increasing at a rate of 28%annually.But semiconductor capacity is increasing even faster,at 58%annually.This productivity gap follows the trend that semiconductors are b

16、ecoming increasingly commoditized.Competition is fierce and margins need to be maintained.To get ahead,organizations are relying on IP reuse to help accelerate time-to-market.For many,a formal IP reuse strategy is required to close that gap.Related White Paper:How to Make IP Reuse Work For YouMajori

17、ty of Organizations Need to Meet Compliance or Functional Safety StandardsOver 70%of respondents stated that their organization needs to meet ISO 26262,ITAR,and other compliance/functional safety standards.As more semiconductor companies supply regulated industries,they will need to prove that their

18、 product can meet safety requirements.A platform that enables and enforces traceability for semiconductor design is critical to meet the rigorous compliance processes.Related White Paper:Traceability For the Design Verification ProcessSemiconductor Industry TrendsIP Reuse40%35%23%48%IP SecurityFunct

19、ional Safety/ComplianceTime-to-market8%Other(plSurvey Question:What are the most important issues for your organization?(select up to 2)YesYes74%No26%Survey Question:Does your company develop products that are subject to regulatory compliance or functional safety standards,such as ISO 26262 or ITAR?

20、Methodics IPLM by Perforce Perforce Software,Inc.All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.(0120EH22)6Compliance Automation Is GrowingDespite respondents saying that most compliance was manual,they were split on having compliance automation.Almost 50%answer

21、ed yes,they have automation in place,while the other half answered no(18%)or not sure(32%).Although there are very few tools that offer automation in this space,there appears to be a need for automation around compliance requirements for these standards.A platform approach can be used to track and a

22、ggregate the level of compliance across the various point tools in their specific context.Compliance Is Measured Manually Via Designer Interviews,Surveys,Etc.Over 70%of respondents stated that they are using manual processes for compliance management indicative of the lack of automation.Designer int

23、erviews and surveys can work for smaller teams.But as organizations scale,managing the level of compliance across many aspects can become unmanageable.Having a platform approach to compliance can give teams a holistic view,making it easier to adhere to standards.Semiconductor Industry Trends73%15%12

24、%YesNoNot sureSurvey Question:Is compliance measured manually via designer interviews,surveys,etc.?49%18%YesNoNot sure32%Survey Question:Does your company have any automation around compliance?Methodics IPLM by Perforce Perforce Software,Inc.All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property

25、of their respective owners.(0120EH22)7Embedded Software Is a Key Part of Product PortfoliosNearly two-thirds of respondents stated that embedded software is part of their product portfolio.With the global embedded system market expected to grow 6.3%to$137.31 billion by 2027,an increasing number of o

26、rganizations will need to bundle hardware and software together.This will make designs more complex,creating a need for developers and designers to collaborate.As the boundary between hardware and software continues to blur,it will require organizations to manage their designs lifecycle in a unified

27、 and coherent fashion.Configuration management is important to handle the dependencies between hardware and software components.It can enable traceability and a single source of truth for the component versions in the design.Analog Designs Continue to Be Important in Todays SoCsAlmost half of survey

28、 takers stated that there is 40%or more custom-IC on a die in a typical chip at their organization.Analog component reuse appears to be an area of opportunity to leverage existing assets in the enterprise to expedite the design of complex mixed signal SoCs.Semiconductor Industry Trends66%31%3%YesNoN

29、ot sureSurvey Question:Does your company develop embedded software as part of your product portfolio?0-20%29%22%24%10%14%21-40%41-60%61-80%81-100%Survey Question:For a typical chip in your company,what percentage of custom-IC(analog/mixed signal,etc.)is included on a die?Methodics IPLM by Perforce P

30、erforce Software,Inc.All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.(0120EH22)8Semiconductor Design Increasingly Requires Integrating New or Existing IPs 76%of survey respondents indicated that more than half of their job requires IP integration.This is a strong

31、 indication of the importance of IP component-based design in the semiconductor industry today.Reusing IP components can help teams spend less time integrating.Having a comprehensive IP lifecycle management streamlines this process by providing designers a platform to better find,qualify,and integra

32、te IPs.Implementation of 2.5d(Interposer)Designsinto Products Is Slow If this question were posed a year ago,there would likely be very few yes answers.This is due to the cost and complexity of this kind of process.Today,36%of respondents answered yes to either considering or already implementing 2.

33、5d designs in their product development.Historically,2.5d has only been used for expensive,high-end chips.However,usage is trending upward.What used to be cost prohibitive is becoming more feasible as we attempt to maintain the level of acceleration of SoC integration we have seen in the past.Semico

34、nductor Industry TrendsMore than half21%8%57%14%About halfWe do almost no IP integrationNot sureSurvey Question:How much of your job requires integrating new or existing IPs?43%36%21%YesNoNot sureSurvey Question:Are you considering(or already implementing)2.5d(interposer)designs in your product deve

35、lopment?Methodics IPLM by Perforce Perforce Software,Inc.All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.(0120EH22)9Most Organizations are Concerned About U.S.-based Semiconductor Manufacturing Once a leader in chip production,the U.S.share in global manufacturin

36、g capacity has dropped from 37%in 1990 to 12%today.76%of respondents stated they are somewhat or very concerned about the lack of semiconductor manufacturing domestically.The United States government is taking this concern seriously and are striving to look for new ways to get back into manufacturin

37、g,including introducing legislation to build more manufacturing options.Legislation Will Have a Large Impact on US-based Semiconductor Manufacturing In June 2021,the United States Senate passed the United States Innovation and Competition Act(USICA).This legislation includes a$52 billion allotment t

38、o boost domestic semiconductor chip manufacturing,research,and design.Respondents were optimistic about these measures.More than half of the professionals surveyed believe that this legislation will have at least some impact in spurring manufacturing,while another 19%believe there will be a major im

39、pact.Semiconductor Industry TrendsVery concerned38%24%38%Somewhat concernedNot at all concernedSurvey Question:How concerned are you about the lack of US-based semiconductor manufacturing?Major impact19%14%52%16%Some impactMinimal impactNot sureSurvey Question:How much impact do you think recent leg

40、islation will have on US-based semiconductor manufacturing?Methodics IPLM by Perforce Perforce Software,Inc.All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.(0120EH22)10Challenges in Semiconductor Design Designs are becoming more complex.Supply chain issues are mo

41、re disruptive.Time-to-market and margins are shortening.Design teams face a myriad of obstacles in trying to stay ahead of their competition.The main challenges slowing teams down include:Finding relevant IPs for reuse.Searching for and locating IPs.Understanding the status of IPs.Knowing where IP i

42、s being used and how.Challenge:Finding Relevant IPs For Reuse The rise of IP reuse is evident.Almost 85%of respondents indicated that IPs and/or components are found through either the company IP catalog or reused from a previous project.With only 40%using a company IP catalog,this leaves many team

43、members searching through various projects(45%)or asking a coworker for recommendations(14%).Time spent searching means less time spent designing and engineering.There appears to be some process available within enterprises that allow designers to recommend IPs to their colleagues.These processes co

44、uld benefit from a more formal,data-driven approach.Biggest Challenges in Semiconductor DesignCompany IP catalog40%14%45%2%Reuse from previous projectFriend/colleague recommendationOther(plSurvey Question:How do you find IPs and/or components?Methodics IPLM by Perforce Perforce Software,Inc.All trad

45、emarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.(0120EH22)11Challenge:Searching For and Locating IPs Nearly 40%of professionals surveyed report that finding relevant IP for their design takes at least one day or longer.Thats because finding IPs can be an involved process

46、.Designers need to first locate then qualify IPs for inclusion into a project.For teams that need to meet increased demands,designers simply cannot spend a day or even longer searching.IP cataloging can help organize and accelerate the integration process.Establishing a method to onboard metadata fr

47、om the various qualification tools in the design ecosystem into the IP catalog helps with searching.It can also be used to determine the state and quality of IPs,as this is an another area of opportunity.Biggest Challenges in Semiconductor DesignLess than 1 hour9%7%21%5%34%1-3 hours4-7 hours1 dayMor

48、e than 1 day22%N/A-I do not manage teams nor IP2%Other(plSurvey Question:How long does it usually take you(or your team)to find a relevant IP for your work?Methodics IPLM by Perforce Perforce Software,Inc.All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.(0120EH22)

49、12Challenge:Understanding the Status of IPsFor more than one-third of survey responders,“its a big mystery”when trying to located information about the status of IPs.This would indicate there is no real qualification process.Without a reliable method of cataloging the status of IPs,design teams need

50、 to look through emails and project archives.For many,institutional knowledge is required to find IPs that are useful for a particular challenge.The solution does not scale as libraries and teams grow.To better catalog IPs,teams need a comprehensive platform to help designers find the state of an IP

51、 to refine the search process.This would promote IP reuse,shortening time-to-market.Challenge:Knowing Where IP Is Being Used and How Nearly 75%of semiconductor design professionals report difficulty in determining the context of an IP and its quality.Tracking and determining the quality of IPs can c

52、ome down to traceability,which has two implications.The first is having a process by which designers determine if requirements have been met by reviewing supporting evidence from the design process.The second is tracking the use of an IP in the various projects across the enterprise.Having a platfor

53、m that can determine if requirements are met and where an IP is used provides teams with information on the health of an IP.This can help eliminate issues when putting it into future projects.Related Blog:Why Is Traceability Important?Biggest Challenges in Semiconductor DesignIt takes too long to fi

54、nd an IP14%41%33%9%3%Traceability-Im not able to understand where else an IP has been usedI dont know how well designed a particular IP is(i.e.,I cant determine the bugs in the IP)IP leakageOther(plSurvey Question:What is the biggest challenge you have with regards to your IP management?Very easy28%

55、36%36%Somewhat easyIts a big mysterySurvey Question:How easy is it for you to find the current status of IPs of interest(bug fixes,release schedules,etc.)?Methodics IPLM by Perforce Perforce Software,Inc.All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.(0120EH22)1

56、3IP Management According to our survey,over half of respondents are not using a commercial IP management tool.30%are using manual tools like Microsoft Excel or PowerPoint,and the other 22%are not using any tools at all.Semiconductor Design Tools Trusted by Industry Leaders We asked survey respondent

57、s about the infrastructure tools they use for semiconductor design and development.Review the types of software in their toolchain:IP Management Data Management/Version Control Product Lifecycle Management(PLM)Requirements Management Static Code AnalysisDive further and discover the types of tools t

58、eams use(command-line vs.GUI),multiple-vendor preferences,and how the cloud is impacting organizations.Semiconductor Design Tools Used by Industry LeadersBased on these responses,although most companies have embraced IP-centric design practices,using a commercial IP Lifecycle platform is still in th

59、e early stages of adoption.IP lifecycle management tools provide a foundation for collaboration,helping ensure traceability and accelerating time-to-market.Designers can see the products where IP is used and understand bugs,derivative designs,regression statuses,and more.This information eliminates

60、time wasted searching and minimizes unforeseen risks while helping teams to quality,distribute,and integrate IPs.Of those that answered they did use an IP management tool,Methodics had the highest response.Methodics IPLM was the first commercial IP Lifecycle Management tool and seen significant trac

61、tion since introduction.These responses are partially due to the fact this survey was promoted in the Perforce customer user base and many of the respondents may have closer ties to our portfolio of tools.Methodics IPLMDassault SystmesManual tools(Excel,PowerPoint)We do not use an IP Management tool

62、OtherSurvey Question:What tool are you using today for your IP management?19%9%9%31%22%10%Methodics IPLM by Perforce Perforce Software,Inc.All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.(0120EH22)14Data Management/Version Control Data management and version cont

63、rol come from the development space.Although historically used for code,these solutions provide a backbone for IP management.Over 35%of respondents indicated they are using Perforce Helix Core for data management,followed by SVN(17%)and Git(17%).Having a data management solution helps unite global t

64、eams.It can support the tracking of IPs and give engineers the robust metadata they need to make informed decisions.For the majority of respondents and leading semiconductor Semiconductor Design Tools Used by Industry LeadersProduct Lifecycle Management(PLM)Half of the professionals surveyed stated

65、that they do not use a PLM tool.It is often too costly and not architected to handle the velocity of releases.It is more commonly used in industries like aerospace and automotive to track the lifecycle of an entire panies that solution is Helix Core.Its Federated Architecture allows remote users to

66、get what they need,fast.And it can efficiently store and version the numerous iterations and derivatives associated with IP development.Perforce Helix CoreSubversionGitClearcaseOtherWe do not use a tool for data management/version controlSurvey Question:What tool are you using today for data managem

67、ent/version control?36%17%17%5%16%9%Dassault SystmesSiemensOraclePTCWe dont use a PLM toolOtherSurvey Question:Does your company use a product lifecycle management(PLM)tool?10%12%12%3%50%9%3%Methodics IPLM by Perforce Perforce Software,Inc.All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of

68、 their respective owners.(0120EH22)15Semiconductor Design Tools Used by Industry LeadersRequirements Management Over 35%of survey respondents selected Jira as the requirements management tool their teams use,with 24%selecting no tool at all.Static Analysis Of the semiconductor design professionals s

69、urveyed,more than one-third do not use a static analysis tool.But this could change in coming years.More and more companies are building embedded software components,which creates a need for static analysis tools.JiraPolarionJamaMicroFocusHelix ALMOtherWe dont use a requirements management toolSurve

70、y Question:Does your company use a requirements management tool?38%9%7%7%10%24%5%3%KlocworkHelix QACSynopsys/CoveritySonarQubeGrammaTech/CodeSonarWe dont use a static analysis toolOther3%36%6%6%6%36%3%Survey Question:Does your company use a static analysis tool?Methodics IPLM by Perforce Perforce So

71、ftware,Inc.All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.(0120EH22)16Command-line Tools vs.GUI-based Tools There is roughly an even split between command-line and GUI-based tools,with half of the respondents using both.In the past,the majority might have said t

72、hey used the command-line more.But as new designers and developers join the industry,GUI-based and web tools are expected to increase in usage.They often provide team members an easier onboarding process with a more gradual learning curve.Semiconductor Design Tools Used by Industry LeadersMultiple V

73、endors Nearly half(47%)of the survey takers responded that they want to have the best-in-class tool for each need,even if it means going to a different vendor.Developing IPs does not require all the tools to come from the same vendor.But the tools do need to be able to share information.This can be

74、challenging when developing with tools from a variety of vendors.Using a platform with strong APIs makes it easier to aggregate data across your toolchain to give teams a comprehensive perspective.As teams look to accelerate,a platform approach can enhance visibility across the organization.100%comm

75、and line75%command line;25%GUI50%command line;50%GUI25%command line;75%GUI100%GUIDont use the command-line or GUI toolsNot sure/Not applicable to my job function10%43%21%10%2%3%10%Survey Question:What is your split between command-line tools and GUI-based tools?Not of consequence we have an administ

76、rator to pull tools togetherSurvey Question:What is your preference with regards to tools from different vendors?17%47%36%Methodics IPLM by Perforce Perforce Software,Inc.All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.(0120EH22)17Cloud Strategy For Semiconductor

77、 Organizations On-Premises vs.Cloud-Based More than half of those surveyed report they are either 75%or 100%on-premises with their tools.The semiconductor industry has been slow to embrace cloud technologies.Strict regulatory and security concerns are often the reason to keep things on site.Semicond

78、uctor Design Tools Used by Industry LeadersReasons to Move to the Cloud Because most people did not deploy in the cloud,this question was not applicable to most respondents.Of those who provided a write-in answer,numerous respondents pointed to flexibility.Others mentioned:Leveraging peak-time compu

79、ting resources.Optimization of CapEx cost.Better pricing,support,and maintenance.Work from home and staffing.Reducing cost easier to expand the infrastructure in the cloud.More control over operating costs especially with“bursty”workloads.Ease of use.As cloud providers enhance security and provide f

80、eatures to support organizations at scale,cloud adoption could increase.Related Content:Cloud Resources100%on-premises75%on-premises;25%cloud50%on-premises;50%cloud25%on-premises;75%cloud100%cloudNot sure/Not applicable to my job functionSurvey Question:What is your split between on-premises and clo

81、ud-based tools?29%15%28%9%9%10%Methodics IPLM by Perforce Perforce Software,Inc.All trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.(0120EH22)18The State of Semiconductors:Unlimited Growth Potential,With the Platform The semiconductor industry is shifting.The rising

82、demand is compounding ongoing challenges,creating an opportunity to look for new solutions.Because as semiconductors become more complex,teams need to innovate at an even faster pace.Having an IP platform allows organizations to take a more component-based design approach,promoting IP reuse.This can

83、 help organizations accelerate time-to-market and maintain margins without sacrificing security or traceability.Methodics IPLM helps teams solve challenges by maximizing traceability and IP reuse.Its platform approach tightly couples IP creators with IP consumers,automating the release process,strea

84、mlining workspace management,and providing a single source of truth for BoM creation and management.Perforce provides a suite of products industry-leaders trust to help drive development at enterprise scale.These include:VersIC for analog design data management.Helix Core for digital asset version c

85、ontrol.Helix ALM for application lifecycle management.Hansoft for Agile project management.Klocwork and Helix QAC for static code analysis.Get in touch with our team at Perforce to find out how our solutions can help you meet market demands today.Who We SurveyedIn November and December 2021,we surve

86、yed professionals working in the semiconductor industry.We heard from Engineering Management(32%),Design Engineering(34%),CAD Management(13%),IT Management(1%),Executive Management(10%)and others such as Functional Safety Managers.These respondents represent companies of under$500 million annual revenue(44%),$501 million to$5 billion(26%),and over$5 billion(30%).Their experience in the industry ranged from 0-2 years(13%),3-5 years(10%),6-10 years(14%),and 11 years or more(62%).Summary:The State of Semiconductors