The competitive landscape in the modern integrated circuit (IC) industry is intense, with products constantly evolving to meet market demands. As a result, IC design companies must continuously innovate and develop new products to stay ahead of the competition. This often requires entering unfamiliar application domains and technological fields, which involves high-risk investments. Timely understanding of the cost and technical advantages of similar competitor chips has become an essential task for these companies.
Reverse engineering of chips refers to the process of analyzing and extracting internal circuit structures to gain insights into the chip's design principles, manufacturing techniques, and architectural mechanisms. This knowledge can be used to validate existing designs, analyze technical aspects of information flow, or even assist in the development of new chips. It serves as a valuable tool for gaining a deeper understanding of competitors' technologies and accelerating the design process.
In today’s IC industry, foreign companies have advanced technologies, with some achieving 10nm processes, while domestic capabilities are still developing, reaching up to 28nm. Understanding the entire IC design process is crucial for designers, yet detailed information on this topic is scarce online. Most resources provide only a general overview of the four main stages: design, manufacturing, testing, and packaging. Some data is scattered, with limited explanations of specific tools and their applications. For example, while some software tools are mentioned, it is unclear which process they are used in, leading to confusion among beginners.
Chip design can be either forward or reverse. While large global design companies primarily focus on forward design, reverse engineering is sometimes used to detect potential intellectual property infringements. Originally intended to prevent copying, reverse engineering has evolved into a strategy for smaller companies to design chips more efficiently and at lower costs. In China, many companies are gradually shifting toward forward design, reducing their reliance on reverse methods. However, early-stage companies may still rely on reverse engineering due to resource constraints.
With the advancement of integrated circuits, both forward and reverse design heavily depend on specialized tools. Before diving into the design process, it's important to understand the key software and auxiliary tools available. The three major EDA vendors—Cadence, Synopsys, and Mentor—offer a comprehensive range of tools for various stages of IC design. These include Cadence’s IC 5141, NC_VERILOG, SPECTRE, and ENCOUNTER; Synopsys’ Design Compiler, Prime Time, and HSPICE; and Mentor’s Calibre and Modelsim.
In addition to these primary tools, other software such as Quartus II, ISE, and KEIL are widely used for FPGA, microcontroller, and ARM chip development. Layout extraction tools like NetEditorLite and ChipAnalyzer are particularly useful in reverse engineering. MATLAB is commonly used for algorithm prototyping, especially in communication systems. PCB layout tools like Altium Designer, Orcad, and Allegro are essential for circuit board design. Tools like LabVIEW and digital source meters are used for semi-automated testing of analog chips.
The reverse engineering process typically starts with a master plan, evaluating whether the chip will be profitable. Key factors include filming costs, time-to-market risks, tool licensing fees, testing expenses, and packaging costs. Once the feasibility is confirmed, the next step is selecting an appropriate fabrication process. This involves identifying the chip’s layout and comparing it with available process documents from manufacturers.
After selecting the process, the layout extraction phase begins. This involves identifying transistors and other components in the layout and symbolizing them using tools like NetEditorLite or ChipAnalyzer. The extracted layout is then converted into a schematic using software like Cadence Virtuoso. Organizing the circuit into hierarchical structures helps in understanding its functionality.
Circuit simulation and modification follow, using tools like Cadence Spectre, Synopsys HSPICE, and Mentor Modelsim. After simulation, the layout is drawn, followed by design rule checks (DRC) and layout vs. schematic (LVS) verification. Once the layout is finalized, test specifications are developed, leading to CP (Circuit Probe) and COB (Chip On Board) testing. Reliability testing ensures the chip meets quality and longevity standards.
Finally, product development focuses on creating usage plans and application solutions to facilitate market adoption. Each stage of the reverse engineering process requires careful planning, execution, and iterative refinement to ensure the final chip functions as intended.
Overall, reverse engineering plays a critical role in the IC design ecosystem, providing valuable insights and accelerating the development cycle. It remains an essential technique for companies seeking to understand and improve upon existing technologies.
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