Semi-Conductor Laboratory to Offer Factory Support for IC Design Startups – Industry News

India’s first chip manufacturing unit Semi-Conductor Laboratory (SCL), Mohali, is set to offer end-to-end support, including manufacturing, testing and packaging, to fabless startups in the country. This holds significant significance as currently fabless startups have to go to global foundries to get even limited chip samples before starting actual production. This not only adds to the cost but also limits their ability to conduct failure analysis, testing and identify any challenges in manufacturing or assembly first-hand.

“SCL is an IDM (integrated device manufacturer). We understand the entire semiconductor manufacturing process. Our startups need a platform where their designs can be evaluated, they can learn about the challenges of assembly and packaging, and how to take their designs to the next level of inspection and qualification,” Kamaljeet Singh, CEO, SCL, told FE.

SCL will offer support to startups with 180nm chip designs. The manufacturing unit in Mohali is also ready to provide limited manufacturing support and assembly and packaging solutions at low or zero cost to startups depending on the nature of the product and the intellectual property (IP) generated. SCL is also exploring opportunities to integrate the startups’ chip design solutions into its operations, if relevant. Representatives will also meet with startups next month to discuss SCL’s capabilities, its SoC (system on chip) and its existing portfolio.

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“Startups will also be able to develop for us and create IP. We will provide them with a shuttle space in our fab and launch a multi-product wafer. At the same time, their IP will be created. We will evaluate it and provide end-to-end support,” Singh said.

Multi-product wafer manufacturing involves different devices (or integrated circuits, ICs) on the same wafer using the same set of masks. On the 180nm technology for IC design, Singh said, “Startups should first explore 180nm before moving to lower nodes because once they get to 180nm, their confidence will also increase.”

“If startups want to see how it works at 180nm, they can go with SCL. At the next level, they can take their designs outside,” Singh added. Under the design-linked incentives scheme, the government has so far approved 13 startups for their chip design.

SCL has two production lines—for 6-inch and 8-inch wafers—an ATMP unit and a compound semiconductor unit. It serves strategic sectors such as space and satellites, railways, and telecommunications, among others, with 180nm integrated circuits.

The centre is considering a modernisation plan for SCL. While Singh did not provide details on the modernisation plans, he said that “things are very positive for SCL going forward”. According to Singh, SCL is also ready to open up its older 1.2-micron semiconductor technology node to other countries as well as domestic companies.

At the Semicon India 2024 event on Wednesday, Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw told reporters that the “SCL Mohali modernisation plan is ready and will be submitted to the Union Cabinet for approval soon.”

In the last term, the government had unveiled a Rs 10,000 crore modernisation plan for SCL. In April, Vaishnaw had told FE that the government would have improved technology for SCL to diversify beyond 180nm and for this, it was looking at proposals from semiconductor companies to modernise the organisation.

The government will soon begin recruiting companies interested in working with SCL as a modernization partner.