EDA Adoption for Power and Analog Semiconductor Design

Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage Corporation has introduced Siemens’ electronic design automation software into its semiconductor development flows to improve design accuracy, verification efficiency, and reliability across power devices, analog, and mixed-signal technologies.

Strengthening semiconductor design workflows
The introduction of Siemens’ EDA tools is intended to address increasing design complexity in power devices and analog semiconductors, where thermal behavior, power integrity, and mixed-signal interactions directly affect performance and lifetime. Toshiba has begun trials of the tools within its design environment, with a focus on improving analog–digital co-design accuracy and streamlining verification processes.

As semiconductor architectures evolve toward higher integration and more demanding operating conditions, these capabilities are becoming central to maintaining predictable performance and manufacturability.

Thermal analysis for 2.5D and 3D IC architectures
One focus area is advanced thermal design for heterogeneous integration. Toshiba is using Siemens’ Innovator3D IC solution suite to support the creation, simulation, and management of 2.5D and 3D IC designs. In parallel, Calibre 3DThermal software is being evaluated to establish an integrated chip–package thermal co-design flow.

This approach allows thermal effects to be assessed from early feasibility stages through to final sign-off, helping identify hot spots and optimize package structures before fabrication. Accurate thermal modeling is particularly relevant for power devices, where localized heating can accelerate degradation mechanisms and limit operating margins.

Power integrity and reliability analysis
To address power efficiency and long-term reliability, Toshiba plans to apply Siemens’ Insight Analyzer and mPower Analog EMIR tools for detailed analysis of leakage current, electromigration, and IR drop. These effects are critical in advanced nodes and high-current designs, where excessive current density or voltage drop can compromise device reliability.

Earlier-stage power analysis is also being extended into the RTL phase using PowerPro Designer software. By evaluating power consumption and optimization opportunities earlier in the design flow, Toshiba aims to reduce rework and improve overall power efficiency in finished devices.

Accelerating analog and mixed-signal verification
Analog and mixed-signal verification remains a time-intensive part of semiconductor development. Toshiba is leveraging the Solido Simulation Suite to improve simulation throughput and accuracy, particularly for complex analog blocks.

In addition, the AI-driven capabilities of the Solido Design Environment are being used for variation-aware simulation and statistical analysis. These techniques support more robust design validation by accounting for process variability and corner cases that can affect yield and field performance.

Context within the semiconductor value chain
The deployment of advanced EDA tools reflects a broader industry trend toward tighter integration between design, verification, and manufacturing considerations. As power devices and analog semiconductors are increasingly used in automotive, industrial, and energy applications, requirements for reliability and predictability continue to rise.

By expanding its use of Siemens’ EDA software across thermal, power, and simulation domains, Toshiba is aligning its design environment with the demands of next-generation semiconductor development, where comprehensive digital workflows are used to manage complexity and reduce development risk across the semiconductor value chain.