SkyWater Announces Availability of Cadence Open-Source PDK and Reference Design for SkyWater’s 130 nm Process

SkyWater Technology, (Nasdaq: SKYT), the trusted technology realization partner today announced a new SkyWater open-source 130 nm process design kit (PDK) from Cadence Design Systems, Inc., which will be available in the Cadence VLSI (very large-scale integration) Fundamentals Education Kit. The kit teaches students how theories and concepts can be applied in the design of simple logic circuits and in the physical implementation of a simplified microprocessor.

Semiconductor foundries offer PDKs to aid design on a manufacturing process, but due to restricted access and the need for NDAs, this has created a barrier to access by academia. To overcome this issue, SkyWater collaborated with Cadence to create an open-source chip manufacturing program on 130 nm CMOS process (SKY130). The SKY130 process has gained popularity among academia and researchers and can be easily accessed from GitHub with no NDA necessary.

Semiconductor design and manufacturing courses are becoming increasingly important as the U.S. focuses on building a domestic semiconductor workforce by investing in manufacturing facilities, partnering with industry, educators, and training providers, supporting semiconductor education and training, and fueling research and development.

The SKY130 open-source offering has implications for accelerating and multiplying collaboration in semiconductor chip design. Verification results can be easily and cost-effectively replicated by other designers and idea generation can be amplified to feed product development that is ongoing in IoT, automotive, industrial, medical and defense applications.

“We are extremely pleased that Cadence chose to create a PDK based on SKY130. It will soon be available to all Cadence licensees, which extends our reach to thousands of designers. It’s a vast expansion for SkyWater’s serviceable available market for SKY130 and speaks to the power of the open-source model,” said SkyWater CTO Steve Kosier. “Access for students to the open-source PDK will support curricula in semiconductor degree programs, helping to build the workforce critically needed for reshoring the semiconductor ecosystem.”

“We are glad to be working with SkyWater to provide an open-source PDK that works with the same tools that our customers utilize,” said David Junkin, academic network program director, Cadence. “An open-source commercial-quality PDK removes one more barrier that limits the ability for students to realize and test their ideas in silicon. With the SKY130 library that will soon be integrated with Cadence Education Kits, students will be empowered with more flow-based training material to develop the skills required by the semiconductor industry.”