Andrew J. Moore
TSMC

As costs rise and product cycles shrink, chip developers are putting increased efforts on "getting the chip right" the first time around. A silicon foundry can assist in several ways to help the designer understand and implement design-for-manufacturing (DFM) techniques during the chip's design. Since they are the organization with best knowledge of silicon effects, processing details, and manufacturing cost, the foundry can supply design guidelines to help increase yield and reduce the cost of the chip.