As current CMOS technologies continue to evolve, identifying an effective design migration path has become an urgent necessity. The need to move existing intellectual property (IP) to smaller, more advanced geometries is increasingly driven by demands for higher performance, lower power consumption, and reduced silicon area. Semiconductor developers must retest, adjust, or redesign to ensure that functionality is preserved without compromising the advantages of the target node. Adopting fast, reliable, and cost-effective migration strategies is also essential to maintaining product lifecycles and meeting market commitments, while leveraging the benefits of advanced process technologies.
Through this expanded collaboration, X-FAB customers gain access to a proven migration methodology supported by Cadence Virtuoso Studio, a state-of-the-art tool that brings a new level of automation to custom integrated circuit design and design migration. The solution enables a quick and easy transition between technology nodes, supported by built-in optimization capabilities that help achieve the right results the first time. A successful proof of concept has already demonstrated migration from 180 nm to 110 nm, and the broader offering supports a range from 1 µm to 110 nm.
A key element of the joint approach is the tight integration between Cadence's migration environment and X-FAB's PDKs. While Cadence provides the design migration framework and circuit re-optimization tools, X-FAB contributes deep process knowledge and expertise in device mapping. Customers receive dedicated mapping files that enable accurate device translation between technologies, significantly reducing complexity while preserving critical performance parameters.
"With Cadence Virtuoso Studio's PDK support for design migration, we enable our customers to achieve a seamless transition between technologies," said Melanie Wilhelm, Design Technology Director at X-FAB. "This approach allows us to offer a highly efficient and reliable migration path. The X-FAB engineering team is committed to providing this level of support, helping customers remain agile and responsive in an increasingly demanding market landscape."
The collaboration builds on a long-standing relationship between X-FAB and Cadence that spans many areas of electronic design automation (EDA), now with a specific focus on migration workflows. By aligning methodologies and leveraging complementary expertise, the companies enable customers to accelerate development cycles and minimize risk.
“Design migration is becoming a strategic priority for semiconductor companies facing technological evolution, supply chain issues, and geopolitical challenges,” said Ashutosh Mauskar, corporate vice president of Cadence’s Custom Products Group. “Our ongoing collaboration with X-FAB reflects a shared commitment to delivering robust and scalable solutions that simplify migration and support our customers’ long-term innovation roadmaps.”
Through a combination of advanced automation and proven silicon process technologies, X-FAB and Cadence are helping CMOS developers move seamlessly from node to node. The result? Reduced time to market, optimized design performance, and long-term competitiveness in rapidly changing markets.
