Chipworks Reverse Engineer RV360

[MuFu]

Saw this on [H]:

According to Dick James, Chipworks' senior technology analyst, "Chipworks has been trying to obtain true low-k parts for over a year, but each time we analyzed a leading edge chip, we found FSG in there. This is the first chip that Chipworks has seen with significant structural changes that indicate the use of a 'true low-k' dielectric. By 'true low-k', we mean a layer with a dielectric constant of 3.0 or lower."

Preliminary analysis shows that the part is manufactured in a 130nm process, with eight levels of copper. The low-k material is used to isolate the lower six levels, and FSG for the top two metal layers. Also, the dual damascene structure is different from the FSG process. There is no etch-stop layer and the vias have a multi-stepped structure. Chipworks is continuing the analysis to fully characterize the leading edge processing of this device.

"Chipworks is always looking for the latest and greatest semiconductor technology, either through our international network of suppliers or by purchasing strategic downstream consumer products. Being the first identified true low k device, the ATI RADEON 9600 XT project will provide engineers the opportunity to look inside this latest technology node." stated Chipworks president, Julia Elvidge.

LINK

Very nice for ATi from an eng point of view!

MuFu.

 

[zsouthboy]

They Reverse Engineered it! QUICK! Call a lawyer! They violated the DMCA!!!

/not serious


Very interesting breakdown. Kudos to Ati, and to these guys.

Chipworks confirms that the low-k in this part is Applied Materials (AMAT) 'Black Diamond' material.

Sweet.

 

[nelg]

Kudos to TSMC and Applied Materials. After all the heat (no pun intended) they got after the nV30 this is nice to hear.

 

[thatdude90210]

Sounds more like they dissected the Rv360.

 

[YeuEmMaiMai]

and a certain un-named company told everyone that what ATi has done could not be done at this time......

 

[Geo]

"Chipworks First Inside Low-K Dielectric Technology, Confirming Leadership Position in Field of Reverse Engineering Services"

Okay, that's the most bizarre press release I've ever read. Do they own their own island kingdom somewhere or something? I'd be less startled reading a marketing press-release from "Murder, Inc."

 

[Pete]

Who benefits from this reverse engineering? nVidia or other competitors who aren't able to get Low-K working on their own? Don't the fabs learn how to produce low-K parts while working with ATi? So wouldn't those fabs be able to lend their experience to other fab partners, or is this all covered by agreements with ATi? If so, why doesn't ATi sell their knowledge to others, rather than allowing a Chipworks to reverse-engineer it and then sell it themselves?

 

[reever]

"Chipworks First Inside Low-K Dielectric Technology, Confirming Leadership Position in Field of Reverse Engineering Services"

Okay, that's the most bizarre press release I've ever read. Do they own their own island kingdom somewhere or something? I'd be less startled reading a marketing press-release from "Murder, Inc."

They have also won an award for outstanding achievement for the field of excellence

 

[Hanners]

They have also won an award for outstanding achievement for the field of excellence

Excellence has its own field? Excellent!

 

[JohnH]

They have also won an award for outstanding achievement for the field of excellence

Excellence has its own field? Excellent!

LOL, awarded by Monty burns himself no doubt.

 

[zsouthboy]

They have also won an award for outstanding achievement for the field of excellence

Excellence has its own field? Excellent!

LOL, awarded by Monty burns himself no doubt.

Hi-larious!

 

[MuFu]

Hehe.

Who benefits from this reverse engineering? nVidia or other competitors who aren't able to get Low-K working on their own? Don't the fabs learn how to produce low-K parts while working with ATi? So wouldn't those fabs be able to lend their experience to other fab partners, or is this all covered by agreements with ATi? If so, why doesn't ATi sell their knowledge to others, rather than allowing a Chipworks to reverse-engineer it and then sell it themselves?

Ditto to that. Anybody know?

MuFu.

P.S. I won a BAe award a couple of years ago and it was for "Technological Excellence". You guys have ruined my dreams.

 

[Pete]

Crushing your ego shouldn't affect your dreams, unless your dreams consist solely of an unchecked ego.

Lolligagger.

 

[micron]

That was pretty good Pete.....

 

[MuFu]

Hehe. I think I've done a pretty good job of crushing my dreams on my own since then though! Two failed years at uni, arggh...

MuFu.

 

[LeGreg]

That's how AMD proposed their first clone of an intel chip.

They took micro photographs of every part of the chip then
they got huge resizing of those photographs
that they dropped on the floor reorganizing them like a giant
puzzle. With that info you could reproduce the inside logic of Intel cpus
without going to steal anything that wasn't public.

The CPU were sufficiently simple at that time so that this method had any chance to work.

Reverse engineering is considered "true work", and can not
be stopped if the chip maker could prove that it genuinely did the reverse engineering and did not simply steal plans.

 

[Hanners]

Hehe. I think I've done a pretty good job of crushing my dreams on my own since then though! Two failed years at uni, arggh...

We still love you though.

Not that that helps...