Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsChoose a semiconductor foundry by matching a specific process to your chip’s electrical, performance, reliability, and production needs—and then confirming that the foundry’s PDK, EDA flow, IP, prototype route, schedule, and commercial terms work for your team. A smaller process node alone does not make a foundry the right choice.
Start with the chip, not the foundry’s headline node
Before comparing vendors, write down what the product must do and what its manufacturing process must support. “Advanced” or “mature” is not enough to establish fit: process options differ in device types and capabilities, and a design that needs high voltage, RF, embedded nonvolatile memory, or image sensing may have priorities that a logic-node comparison misses.
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- Electrical and performance targets: operating voltages, frequency, power, and the relevant performance margins.
- Function blocks: analog and RF circuits, memory, image sensing, or other specialized devices.
- End-market needs: reliability or qualification requirements associated with the product’s intended use.
- Product plan: prototype quantity, expected production volume, launch timing, and anticipated product lifetime.
Use these requirements to identify candidate process options, not just candidate companies. Samsung’s published portfolio, for example, includes logic and specialty offerings such as RF, embedded nonvolatile memory, high-voltage, BCD, and image-sensor-related capabilities. That illustrates why the exact process must be checked; it does not establish that every capability is available on every process or currently suited to a particular project.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Check design enablement before committing to a process
A process is usable only if the design team can build and verify a design against its rules. Ask for access to the process design kit (PDK) early enough to assess it before the project depends on it. GlobalFoundries describes PDKs as process-specific models, design rules, and libraries used with EDA tools; TSMC’s Open Innovation Platform describes a wider ecosystem that includes design enablement, IP, process, packaging, and partners.
#1 Best Overall
- Can your team obtain and evaluate the PDK for the exact process option?
- Are the device models, design rules, libraries, and signoff checks available for the tools and versions your team uses?
- Does the foundry or its ecosystem provide the reference flows and engineering support your design needs?
- Is the required IP available for this process, and is it silicon-verified for the intended use?
- Are there restrictions, access conditions, or additional costs for the PDK, IP, or support?
Do not treat a general statement of EDA compatibility or an ecosystem listing as proof that your specific flow is ready. Confirm the process-specific files, supported tools, IP terms, and support path with the foundry and relevant IP providers.
Compare candidates on the same project assumptions
Give each candidate the same design requirements, intended volumes, prototype plan, and target dates. Ask for process-specific written answers so that broad company capabilities are not mistaken for a project commitment.
Rank #2
| Area | Questions to resolve |
|---|---|
| Process fit | Does this exact process support the required devices, voltage, performance, power, memory, RF, analog, and reliability needs? |
| Design enablement | Can the team use the PDK with its EDA tools? Are models, rules, libraries, IP, reference flows, and signoff resources adequate? |
| Prototype route | Is an MPW or another prototype option available for this process? What are the eligibility rules, reservation steps, submission dates, and deliverables? |
| Economics | What are the project-specific costs for masks or NRE, wafers, engineering, packaging, and test? Are there minimums, and how do costs change between prototype and production volumes? |
| Schedule and capacity | What are the current queue, expected wafer cycle time, production allocation, ramp assumptions, and delivery terms? |
| Quality and qualification | What process-specific yield and qualification evidence applies to the design and its end market? |
| Geography and continuity | Which fab locations can serve the product, and what sourcing or continuity arrangements are available in writing? |
| Contract and IP | What terms govern confidentiality, design files, foundry IP, permitted use, change control, cancellation, liability, and supply? |
Public foundry pages can help build a shortlist, but they do not establish comparable project quotes, customer-specific yield, guaranteed allocation, or contract terms. Obtain those answers directly for the selected process and intended volume.
Plan how to reach first silicon
A multi-project wafer (MPW) run places multiple designs on a shared wafer or mask set so participants can share tooling costs. It can be a route to prototype silicon, including for a smaller team, but availability, eligibility, timing, and what the run includes depend on the specific program and process.
Rank #3
- Identify the process first. Ask whether the exact candidate process has an MPW or other prototype offering; availability for one process does not establish availability for another.
- Confirm access and reservation requirements. Ask what information, design readiness, approvals, or qualification is needed to reserve a slot, and what confidentiality terms apply.
- Verify the current schedule directly. Confirm the submission deadline, expected run timing, and any dependencies through the foundry’s customer channels. Public schedules can change and are not a project commitment.
- Clarify deliverables and cost. Establish what the quoted price includes and excludes, including engineering support, fabrication, packaging, and test.
- Agree on the production path. If the prototype succeeds, ask what changes when moving to a production run, including process availability, capacity, economics, and any additional qualification work.
TSMC’s CyberShuttle describes a shared multi-project mask-set service; Samsung Foundry publishes an MPW reservation workflow and schedule; GlobalFoundries describes its GlobalShuttle service. These are examples of foundry-run prototype routes, not interchangeable offers. Confirm current terms with the provider.
Build the full project cost and schedule, not a wafer-only estimate
Request a quote against a stated design, volume, and schedule. A wafer price alone cannot tell you the cost of reaching usable product: include masks or NRE, engineering, packaging, test, and any minimum order or program charges. Ask which costs recur and which apply only to a prototype or a particular stage.
For manufacturing readiness, ask the foundry to explain its expected cycle time, ramp assumptions, yield basis, capacity, allocation, and delivery terms for your project. TSMC’s manufacturing description identifies capacity flexibility, cycle time, yield ramp, and delivery as manufacturing considerations, but that is not a guarantee of service levels for an individual customer. Get project-specific assumptions and commitments in writing rather than inferring them from a general capability statement.
Settle commercial protections and ownership before design commitment
Before sharing sensitive design materials or committing engineering work, have the relevant agreement reviewed by the people responsible for legal, security, and procurement decisions. Confirm how design files and IP are protected, who may access them, what uses are permitted, how changes and cancellations are handled, and what liability and supply commitments apply. Public MPW and technology descriptions do not settle these terms for your project.
Make the decision with explicit gates
Keep a candidate only when it clears each of these gates:
- Technical fit: the exact process meets the documented product requirements.
- Design readiness: the team can access and use the PDK, required tools, IP, and support.
- First-silicon path: there is a feasible prototype route or a justified alternative, with timing and deliverables confirmed.
- Viable economics and production plan: the project-specific costs and manufacturing assumptions fit the business case.
- Acceptable risk: quality evidence, geography, continuity, IP protections, and supply terms meet the project’s needs.
If more than one candidate clears the gates, compare the trade-offs against the product’s priorities—such as performance, time to prototype, production economics, or supply continuity—instead of ranking foundries by node name alone.
Quick Recap
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