Samsung, Synopsys Achieve 3nm SoC Production

Samsung Electronics and Synopsys have successfully partnered to utilize Synopsys DSO.ai EDA suite, achieving the production of a high-performance mobile system-on-chip (SoC) based on Samsung's 3nm GAA transistor technology.

The new mobile SoC features top-tier CPU and GPU cores with advanced generative AI capabilities. Synopsys' AI-driven DSO.ai EDA suite optimized the performance of the mobile CPU, improving efficiency and yield. Additionally, the Synopsys Fusion Compiler RTL-to-GDSII solution enhanced performance, power, and area (PPA) metrics for Samsung's GAA nodes.

This collaboration has led to an increase of approximately 300MHz in maximum clock speed while reducing power consumption by around 10%. Samsung's engineers leveraged design partition optimization, multi-source clock tree synthesis (MSCTS), and intelligent routing optimization to minimize signal interference and streamline the design process. Using Synopsys Fusion Compiler also enabled them to accelerate the development process by avoiding several weeks of manual design work.

Kijoon Hong, Vice President of Samsung Electronics System LSI Division, commented, "Our longstanding collaboration has resulted in innovative SoC designs. Working with Synopsys has allowed us to achieve exceptional PPA outcomes in advanced mobile CPU core and SoC design, marking a significant milestone. This partnership demonstrates how AI-driven solutions help us meet the advanced goals of the GAA process technology. Together, we've established a highly efficient design system and consistently achieved exceptional results."

While Samsung announced the mass production of its 3nm GAA process in late June 2022, improvements in yield have been gradual. Only a few chip design companies have utilized Samsung's 3nm GAA process for the production of relatively simple chips such as mining chips. Until recently, Samsung's own mobile SoC had not employed the 3nm GAA process, and no other mobile SoC manufacturers had adopted it.