tape-out
/ˈteɪp aʊt/
the final step of chip design, when the completed layout is sent to a foundry for manufacturing
tape-out in a sentence
“After tape-out, engineers must wait weeks before receiving first silicon.”
Origin of tape-out
From the era when chip designs were archived on magnetic tape before submission
Related Words
foundry
a semiconductor manufacturing facility that fabricates chips designed by other companies
fabless
describing a chip company that designs semiconductors but outsources all manufacturing to a foundry
Moore's Law
the observation that the number of transistors on a chip doubles approximately every two years, driving decades of computing progress
SoC
System on a Chip; an integrated circuit that combines all components of a computer—CPU, GPU, memory controller, and I/O—onto a single die
chiplet
a modular, small die designed to connect with other chiplets in a single package, enabling flexible chip assembly
EUV
Extreme Ultraviolet lithography; a technology using 13.5nm wavelength light to print the finest circuit patterns, essential for advanced nodes