Tape-out represents a significant investment of engineering time, resources, and development costs. Once the design is sent to fabrication, correcting errors becomes much more expensive and time-consuming.
Before tape-out, engineering teams perform extensive checks to confirm that:
A well-managed tape-out process helps reduce costly redesigns and manufacturing delays.
Semiconductor development involves multiple stages that lead up to tape-out. These activities often include:
Engineering teams must ensure all design artifacts are complete and controlled before releasing data to manufacturing.
Following tape-out, the foundry begins wafer fabrication using the approved design files. Once manufacturing is completed, wafers move through testing, packaging, and qualification processes before devices are released for production.
Any issues discovered after fabrication may require design modifications and another tape-out cycle, which can increase development costs and delay product launches.
PLM systems help organizations manage the complex documentation and approval workflows associated with tape-out activities. Engineering teams rely on PLM to manage design revisions, track design changes, and store manufacturing records. By treating tape‑out as a formal release milestone, PLM helps ensure only approved, traceable design data is shared with foundries, reducing downstream risk and rework.
PLM platforms can help support tape-out readiness by:
Centralized product information helps reduce the risk of releasing outdated or unapproved design data.
Tape-out is the point at which a completed chip design is released to a foundry for fabrication. It marks the transition from design to manufacturing.
Tape-out signifies that the design has passed verification, validation, and approval processes. Errors discovered after fabrication can be costly and difficult to correct.
Requirements, design files, verification reports, layout data, review records, and manufacturing documentation are commonly required. Specific requirements vary by organization and foundry.
PLM systems provide revision control, approval workflows, and centralized documentation management. These capabilities help ensure only approved design data is released to manufacturing.
