16.1 Is there a size limit for student designs?
16.2 How many parts will I get with each design I submit?
16.3 Why am I charged 4 TinyChip units when my design for the AMIS
1.5
micron process is just slightly larger than 2.2 mm X 2.2 mm?
17 Are there any packaging restrictions for student designs?
18 How many student designs will I be allowed to fabricate?
Almost all thesis work will be fabricated under an MEP Research
account. Research projects, thesis work, and designs derived from
individually directed study are considered on a case by case basis.
The proposal process, qualification requirements, and application
instructions are described in the MOSIS oneline document,
MEP Research
Program.
You will need to send MEP INSTRUCTIONAL account enrollment forms to
MOSIS
at the beginning of each semester or quarter for which you need
fabrication. The following must be attached to each enrollment form,
even if information hasn't changed since the last time you sent it to
MOSIS.
MEP Instructional allocations are expressed in TinyChip units, rather
than dollars or number of integrated circuits. A TinyChip unit for a
given process represents both an allocation of project area and a
quantity of parts to be delivered.
Grants for MEP Research projects are expressed in micrometers (or
millimeters), not in TinyChip units. The chip area is approved based
on the requirements/merits of the proposal. Each project is evaluated
individually, and approval is given for the size (in x and y)
specified in the proposal.
MEP INSTRUCTIONAL
AMIS ABN: one lot of five parts per design
AMIS C5N: one lot of five parts per design
MEP INSTRUCTIONAL users may order additional lots. Each additional
lot will be charged as one TinyChip unit against your budget. An
order for ten dies of one 2.2 mm by 2.2 mm design for the AMIS ABN
process will count as two TinyChip units.
16.3 Why am I charged 4 TinyChip units when my design for the
AMIS 1.50
micron process is just slightly larger than 2.2 mm x 2.2 mm?
For the AMIS 1.50 micron process, the standard die sizes are based
upon
the capacity of a single field of the Ultratech 1X reticle. Three
different fields are available.
One of the fields is dedicated to the TinyChip size of 2.2 mm x 2.2
mm. This allows us to fill the field with a 4 x 11 array of
TinyChips. Projects larger than 2.2 mm x 2.2 mm do not fit in the
array elements and must be packed in a different field.
Another field contains a 5 x 2 array of 4.6 mm x 4.7 mm die plus
vendor overhead. A die larger than 2.2 mm x 2.2 mm must be placed in
one of the 4.6 mm x 4.7 mm elements (even though it is only slightly
larger than 2.2 mm x 2.2 mm).
Because of these packing considerations, a design larger than 2.2 x
2.2 uses an area of 4.6 x 4.7, for which the charge is 4 TinyChip
units. Educational submissions of both 2.2 x 2.2 and 4.6 x 4.7 are
supported.
Package lids cannot be sealed for INSTRUCTIONAL account designs.
Packaging is not included for designs fabricated under the MEP
Research program. You can either have these parts shipped to you
unpackaged, or you can send MOSIS a purchase order to cover the cost
of packaging. See the MOSIS Web site for
packaging prices and
purchase order instructions.
Special Handling Available for All Educational Designs:
There is no specific allocation formula. Your enrollment
form should include the number of students enrolled and the number of
chips you expect to fabricate. MOSIS will make an award after
considering your request and the total amount of funding available.
In some cases, universities may add funds to their MOSIS educational
accounts, but approval by MOSIS must be obtained in advance.
Requests should be sent to
support@mosis.com, and they
will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Universities are always welcome to pay MOSIS
directly for fabrication of any chip. You can do this by signing a
customer agreement form to establish a commercial MOSIS account,
and sending MOSIS a
purchase order to cover the cost of fabrication. A special price
has been established by MOSIS for university orders, and is
automatically provided when you include your account number in the
Request for Price Quote forms.
The funding year for the MOSIS educational program is from October 1
to September 30. You may submit project designs during that time for
any educational run.
An unused balance at the end of the funding year will not carry over
into the next funding year.
MEP projects are fabricated on regularly scheduled multi-project wafer
runs on a space-available basis. Paying commercial projects have
priority on these wafer runs. If commercial projects completely fill
the reticle on the run you select, then any MEP projects queued for
that run will not be fabricated on that run. MEP Research designs that
are not fabricated on your selected run will stay in the fabrication
queue and will be considered, on a space-available basis, for the next
scheduled run of the same technology.
Universities who received funding under the MOSIS educational program
are required to send a report to MOSIS for each student design
submitted for fabrication.
Reports for projects fabricated under an Instructional account can be
submitted via the web.
