Google SkyWater PDK

History

2020: Google and SkyWater Technology start free production of chips

At the beginning of July, 2020 Google announced start of free service in production of chips. Anyone will be able to use it, however there are some restrictions.

First, the chip should have open and public specifications (the so-called Open Source Hardware model). When sending the request for production of the chip the customer gives the reference to the corresponding repository with open source codes of a product.

One more requirement — the chip should be manufactured on 130-nanometer technical process. Though this technology by July, 2020 is considered outdated, it is still very widely used by production of electronics.

Chips which free production promises Google will be manufactured at the enterprises of SkyWater Technology Foundry company. Besides, technology companies eFabless, Antmicro and several higher educational institutions among which — the University of California in Santa Cruz (USA), the University of California to San Diego and the American university in Cairo (Egypt) were among partners of Google in this project.

The service received the name SkyWater PDK. It includes a packet of rules of design, logical and analog models and cells, specifications and other data to turn your RTL files into real working models of semiconductors, metals and other chemicals on the tiny silicon chips packed into plastic.

This project is headed by the software engineer of Google Tim Ansell working in the company since 2008.

By the beginning of July, 2020 of Google gathers requests for production of chips. Directly serial release of chips within the first batch will be adjusted in November, 2020. The second project phase is planned the beginning of 2021. SkyWater PDK is urged to simplify to the companies an exit in the semiconductor industry.^[1]

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