Advanced Micro Devices Inc (AMD)

[SemiconEng]

The PR piece says that design has been completed. Only Anandtech equates this with the start of the tape out process.
Does anyone know if these are necessarily sequential steps? Wouldn't tape out perhaps have already started? Isn't tapeout part of the design process? I mean Anand is showing pictures of what look like test parts already.
To my mind the design is the tough part, tapeout is surely a quick step once the design is complete. Testing and parameterization will be the lengthy jobs yet to be done.
Some informed clarification would be welcome.
If design is complete is the 2H05 timeframe paced by development or available fab capacity?


No. Tapeout is not grouped with design. Tapeout begins after the design is completed. A general basic Tasklist for Tape Out, to Mask Release, to Production Start, is here:


http://www.1stsilicon.com/foundry-tape.html
1Si provides high quality data processing services from GDS II to MEBES, and competitive pricing reticles. To expedite cycle time from tape-out to wafer start, 1Si has established Reticle Engineering Department with in-house tape out and mask shop management groups. As such, mask production is an integrated part of our wafer foundry service.


*** Notice the last box in the flow at the bottom says "Reticles arrive at first silicon". I don't see how anybody is showing parts if the design was just finished, the Litho Masks are not done, and the tapeout just started. Also, once tapeout is done, and you do have some engineering samples in hand, timeframe is paced by both development progress, and available fab capacity. If Design just completed, tapeout just starting, then IMO, 2H05 sounds about right. If speeded up, maybe a little sooner (Q2-Q3/05)