Google offers free fabbing for 130nm open-source chips (fossi-foundation.org)

Article summary

Google is offering free fabrication for open-source chips using the SkyWater PDK, a manufacturable open-source process design kit, allowing designers to produce physical chips without significant financial investment. The SkyWater PDK is compatible with the 130nm node, a 20-year-old technology. This initiative aims to lower the barrier to entry for chip design and fabrication, making it more accessible to individuals and open-source projects. The free fabrication offer includes one run in November and multiple runs in 2021.

Main themes

• open-source chip design
• chip fabrication
• accessibility
• cost reduction
• multi-project wafer services
• open-source software
• education and innovation

What commenters say

• The 130nm process is relatively old and was used in chips like the Pentium 4, but it can still be useful for certain applications.
• The cost of chip fabrication is a significant barrier to entry, and initiatives like this can help make it more accessible to individuals and open-source projects.
• The availability of open-source software for chip design is limited, but initiatives like this can help create a community around it.
• The current commercial tools for chip design are expensive and often difficult to use, making open-source alternatives more appealing.
• The use of multi-project wafer services can help reduce the cost of chip fabrication, making it more viable for small-scale projects.
• The open-source community can benefit from this initiative by creating a ecosystem around open-source chip design and fabrication.
• Some commenters believe that the 130nm process is not suitable for modern applications, while others see it as a good starting point for open-source chip design.
• The initiative can lead to innovation in areas like robotics, IoT, and education, by making chip design and fabrication more accessible to a wider range of people.