SOI

Edge AI is a fundamental technology for applications that require real-time decision-making. Contrary to cloud-based AI solutions that specialize in large and complex tasks, edge AI is embedded directly into local devices, allowing for lower-latency decision-making for less bandwidth consumption. These properties are essential for advancing technologies like 6G, autonomous vehicles, industrial IoT solutions, and more. However, edge AI can’t be achieved with traditional silicon because it requires more efficient thermal management, higher performance, and lower power than silicon can deliver. To address these limitations, the Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) technology platform offers a path forward. SOI is a layered silicon substrate technology with a silicon device layer on top, an insulating silicon dioxide layer in the middle, and a thick silicon base at the bottom. This structure disconnects devices from the bulk substrate, enabling major performance improvements for faster and more power-efficient ICs and photonics devices. In addition, FD, or fully depleted SOI (FD-SOI), is a subcategory of SOI that offers even higher performance and lower power usage.According to Michaël Tchagaspanian, Executive Vice President of Technology Strategic Partnerships at CEA-Leti, SOI is not just an alternative material. Instead, it’s a foundational technology that’s crucial for advancing the next wave of edge AI innovation. Therefore, to accelerate its advancement, CEA-Leti is combining its four decades of pioneering research with the cooperative efforts of the SEMI SOI Industry Consortium.CEA-Leti’s HistoryFor nearly 50 years, CEA-Leti has been at the forefront of SOI leadership. The company began in 1980 with its research into radiation-hardened electronics, which led to breakthroughs that enabled the Smart Cut™ process. Smart Cut ultimately served as the foundation for enabling SOI wafers to become a commercially viable global standard.This legacy also paved the way for much of the cutting-edge R D of today, including the FD-SOI Next Generation 10-7 nm program. This effort leverages flexible back-biasing to allow dynamic control over power consumption, leading to substantial efficiency gains.Tackling Tomorrow’s Challenges: A Sustainable FutureCEA-Leti’s deep SOI expertise allows it to address many of edge AI’s environmental challenges. To promote energy efficiency, CEA-Leti is working to advance silicon photonics while at the same time, incorporating the comprehensive PPAC-E framework across its new technology developments. The organization also works toward reducing energy through its fully integrated neural-network-on-chips technology that uses hybrid memory. This effort supports ultra-low-power, on-chip learning and inference for applications like autonomous vehicles, medical sensors, and others. Finally, CEA-Leti works to reduce greenhouse gases through its involvement in the GENESIS project, plus its ongoing efforts in eco-design and lifecycle analysis. The SOI Industry Consortium: Accelerating Industrial AdoptionAs part of its partnership, the SOI Industry Consortium works to ensure that CEA-Leti’s lab innovations can be seamlessly integrated into global production. This "lab-to-fab" model can be seen in the volume production of FD-SOI transistors from leading companies like STMicroelectronics and GlobalFoundries. The Consortium helps achieve volume production through its three-part approach: Secure the supply chain, reduce SOI adoption barriers, and close the specialized skills gap. To promote a healthy supply chain, the Consortium offers a platform that brings lab-to-fab solutions for SOI wafers. This is achieved through leading-edge development capabilities at CEA-LETI, Soitec and its Foundry manufacturing partners, with additional support from leading wafer suppliers like Shin-Etsu, GlobalWafers and Okmetic.It lowers SOI adoption barriers by collaborating with EDA leaders to standardize design tools and methodologies, ensuring robust proven design flows fully leveraging SOI technology.Finally, the Consortium supports training initiatives that address the SOI industry’s specialized skills gap. Partners like Synopsys also provide extensive training options, equipping engineers with the expertise to master SOI designs. SOI is helping the innovations of tomorrow become a practical reality. CEA-Leti’s leadership, combined with the global reach of the SOI Industry Consortium, allows the SOI ecosystem to optimize for low-power and sustainability while driving the next generation of high-performance systems. Gity Samadi is Senior Director of R D at SEMI.

For nearly two decades, Sean Ding, CTO and chief scientist of Alibaba Cloud IoT, has worked in software and algorithm architectures, sensing, semiconductors, systems and cloud computing – all areas that have contributed to the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT). It’s no surprise, then, that Alibaba is leading next-generation innovation for the IoT. Ding will bring his expertise to his role as moderator of Brave New World - MSIG Conference on AI+IoT 2019, a half-day forum March 20, 2019, at SEMICON China in Shanghai, China. Maria Vetrano of SEMI spoke with Ding about technologies key to the IoT era including MEMS, sensors, artificial intelligence (AI), edge gateways and cloud computing. SEMI: MEMS sensors are widely used in IoT devices. What is the relationship between AI and MEMS sensors?DING: While MEMS sensors and AI will increasingly co-reside in end-user devices, I do not recommend adding AI next to the sensor (in the same package). That’s because designers continue to use the ASIC for signal conditioning, so A/D converters are still required. Rather, we should look to edge gateways to carry the majority of the workload, including deep learning, because this reduces system complexity and power consumption.SEMI: Why are smarter sensors shifting data processing and analytics to the edge of IoT devices?DING: Data processing and analytics are very important for IoT devices, but we need to focus on understanding the data, parameter calibration and more. The MEMS sensor industry should leave big data analytics to edge computing and cloud computing because AI requires deep learning, demanding a huge amount of data.The challenge is to find the sweet spot for data processing right next to the sensor element.SEMI: What is China’s evolving role in innovation in MEMS sensors for IoT devices?DING: At present, the MEMS community in China needs to figure out how to innovate instead of copying existing technologies, a low-margin business that will not help to grow the industry. One reason why I am so pleased to see the MSIG Conference on AI+IoT in China is that it will encourage greater creativity in the MEMS community in China, and this will ultimately lead to Chinese companies and R D institutions leading innovation rather than copying it.SEMI: What is the right approach to combining smart MEMS sensors with AI in IoT devices? Why is this important for both domestic Chinese and international markets?DING: Combining data from sensors with cloud-edge computing is the right approach. As sensor companies increasingly provide end-to-end solutions, such as “sensor+ firmware + SaaS + app,” we will realize easier and faster integration of sensors in IoT applications.This is incredibly important because China today is the world’s biggest market for IoT hardware. China has 2,000-plus design houses, 200-plus OEMs and thousands of distributors. That said, we still see a highly fragmented market that will benefit from a faster integration methodology.Faster integration of MEMS sensors and AI/machine learning for IoT hardware will benefit designers in international markets as well.SEMI: What do you hope MISG Conference on AI+IoT attendees will take away from the forum? DING: MEMS sensors are highly fragmented, reflecting the highly fragmented applications in which they play. The MEMS sensors industry should figure out how to provide one-stop-shopping solutions for vertical markets. This will speed the scalability of applications and expedite the growth of sensor production. Sean Ding (柯镇) will moderate Brave New World - MSIG Conference on AI+IoT 2019 at SEMICON China on Wednesday, March 20, 2019, at Kerry Hotel Pudong in Shanghai, China.This conference has been organized by the MEMS Sensors Industry Group (MSIG). Register today to connect with Sean Ding and featured speakers at the event.Speakers at the MSIG Conference on AI+IoT 2019 at SEMICON China include: Welcome and Introduction / 欢迎辞Carmelo Sansone, Director, MEMS Sensors Industry Group (MSIG), a SEMI technology community AI Needs Accurate Data – MEMS Sensors Can Provide It / MEMS传感器为人工智能提供真实数据Andrea Onetti, Group VP of Analog MEMS Group, GM of MEMS Sensor Division, STMicroelectronics Enhanced IoT Edge by Smart Sensors / 智能传感器助力IoT边缘智Bennini Fouad, Regional President Asia Pacific, Bosch Sensortec Horizon AI Processor Solution, Enable Industries in AI Time / 地平线AI芯片解决方案，赋能千万业Carl Zhang 张永谦, General Manager/VP, Smart Chip Solutions Division, Horizon Robotics Inertial Sensors in AI Applications / 运动传感器AI应用案例Ben Lee 李彬 , CEO, mCube Ultra-Low-Power Solutions: an Ecosystem Approach / 超低功耗的生态链解决方案Carlos Mazure, IEEE Fellow, Chairman Executive Director, SOI Industry Consortium High-Integrity, Fault-Tolerant Open Inertial Measurement Platform for AI-based Vehicle Automation / 适用于人工智能车辆自动控制的高集成及容错的惯性测量开放平台Dan Dempsey, Senior Director of Automotive, ACEINNA Maria Vetrano is a public relations consultant at SEMI.