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The semiconductor industry has long been driven by the relentless pursuit of Moore’s Law, striving to double the number of transistors on a chip approximately every two years. As people push the boundaries of this principle, the move towards sub-2nm process nodes represents a significant leap in technology. This transition, while promising unprecedented performance gains and energy efficiency, introduces substantial challenges in testing and characterization. Sriharsha Vinjamury, a distinguished Principal Engineer with extensive experience in VLSI and post-silicon testing, provides invaluable insights into navigating these complexities.
Addressing the challenges of smaller chips
As technology advances, the microchips in our devices are becoming increasingly smaller and more complex. The latest sub-2nm chips exemplify this trend, pushing the boundaries of semiconductor manufacturing. However, fabricating these tiny chips presents significant challenges, including an elevated risk of manufacturing defects. These difficulties arise due to the extreme precision required at such minuscule scales, where even minor variations in silicon can lead to substantial issues.
Sriharsha Vinjamury has been at the forefront of addressing these challenges. He explains, “At the sub-2nm level, the physical properties of silicon begin to change, complicating the process of detecting and correcting defects. The transition from 3nm to 2nm represents a fundamental shift in chip manufacturing, going from the FINFET technology to the NANOSHEET technology”
The industry is turning to new materials and innovative techniques to overcome these challenges. As chips shrink, it’s crucial to employ advanced materials that can withstand the unique demands of such scale reductions. Vinjamury has played a pivotal role in establishing specialized laboratories designed to rigorously test these cutting-edge chips, emphasizing their reliability before they are deployed in consumer products. These labs utilize state-of-the-art technology to meticulously evaluate the performance and durability of these microchips, ensuring they meet the highest standards of quality and functionality.
Sriharsha Vinjamury’s contributions and experience
Sriharsha Vinjamury has worked with some of the most prominent names in the tech industry, including NXP, Qualcomm, Tesla, and Arm. His experience with these leading companies has given him deep insights into the challenges and opportunities in semiconductor testing. At Qualcomm, he developed testing methods such as Partial-good (PG) Protocol-aware techniques, significantly improving the efficiency and reliability of chip production. At Tesla, he contributed to developing chips essential for the company’s autopilot systems, achieving near-zero defect tolerance (DPPM), a critical component for self-driving cars.
As a Principal Engineer at ARM, Vinjamury is at the forefront of validating next-generation process nodes. He plays a crucial role in ARM’s development of future processors, which are integrated into third-party chips, helping ARM maintain its frontrunner status by staying at least two years ahead in this space.
Vinjamury is also an active contributor to the semiconductor community through his writing. His article, Challenges and Outlook of ATE Testing for 2nm SoCs written for Semiconductor Engineering Magazine has gained widespread recognition from industry experts, highlighting his leadership in setting guidelines for new process nodes.
Advanced characterization
Advanced testing strategies are essential at sub-2nm nodes, where traditional methods fall short due to the complexities introduced by extreme scaling. Sriharsha Vinjamury emphasizes a holistic approach, integrating adaptive testing paradigms that evolve based on real-time parametric and functional data. “Testing at sub-2nm nodes requires a holistic approach,” Vinjamury explains. “We need to consider new testing paradigms that account for increased variability and defect rates, which are far more complex than traditional methods.” This dynamic approach enables rapid defect localization and reduces time-to-market for cutting-edge chips.
AI and automation play a crucial role in managing the massive increase in test complexity at this scale. AI-driven algorithms enhance fault coverage by dynamically adjusting test vectors in response to real-time data analysis, optimizing both ATE (Automated Test Equipment) and SLT (System-Level Test) cycles. “Automation and AI are indispensable at this scale” Vinjamury notes. “They allow us to perform extensive testing more quickly and accurately, reducing the overall time-to-market.”
Advanced characterization techniques are vital for assessing performance, power consumption, and reliability at sub-2nm nodes. These include sophisticated thermal management, electromigration modeling, and HTOL (High-Temperature Operating Life) testing. “Reliability is paramount,” Vinjamury emphasizes. “We need to push these chips to their limits to ensure they can perform reliably under various conditions.” As transistor dimensions shrink, challenges such as short-channel effects and quantum tunneling necessitate innovative FinFET and GAA (Gate-All-Around) architectures to maintain performance and integrity.
The future of semiconductor technology
Sriharsha Vinjamury’s work in enhancing advanced semiconductor chip testing and quality assurance has significantly impacted the industry. Companies that have adopted his methodologies report marked improvements in key performance indicators such as transistor speed, power efficiency, and overall chip reliability—crucial metrics as the demand for faster, lower-power devices continues to rise. His contributions have advanced the current silicon technology generation and laid the groundwork for innovations in next-generation nodes.
As the semiconductor industry evolves, sub-2nm process technology is becoming increasingly vital. With the expansion of sectors like automotive, healthcare, and consumer electronics, the demand for high-performance, low-power chips is expected to escalate. Vinjamury asserts that these ultra-scaled nodes will soon become standard across multiple applications. He remains dedicated to developing cutting-edge testing techniques, such as adaptive testing and AI-driven analytics, to keep pace with the rapid advancements in semiconductor fabrication. These methodologies are essential for maintaining the reliability, power integrity, and efficiency of chips as they continue to scale down in size and up in complexity.
Reflecting on his career, Vinjamury states, “Working in semiconductor testing is a continuous learning experience. Every step forward brings us closer to fully utilizing sub-2nm technology. It’s challenging, but that’s what makes it fulfilling.”
Sriharsha Vinjamury’s efforts have been central to driving forward the semiconductor technologies that power modern electronic devices. His work continues to shape the industry, ensuring the development of reliable, high-performance, and energy-efficient technologies for the future.
