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36 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I MAY 2022 If you've been keeping up with the electron- ics trade news, you're probably aware that there is a slow but steady growth of ICs now being implemented in 2.5D or 3D IC configurations. Over the last decade, these device configura- tions have been steadily growing in popularity in highest-capacity FPGAs, high-bandwidth memory devices, and processors targeting high-performance computing and datacenters. But with Apple's recent announcement of M1 Ultra—which will power its new generation of desktop and laptop computers—the age of 3D IC is quickly coming upon us and may become the norm rather than the exception. It behooves us to ask: What, if any, impact will this have on PCB systems design? Typical 2.5D design processes design each substrate (e.g., the ICs and interposer) sepa- rately, then integrate at the end (oen with derived data like spreadsheets), where errors are found, and time-consuming iterations begin. Optimized performance of 2.5D or 3D IC configurations requires a co-design meth- odology across the ICs and interconnecting interposer. Likewise, co-designing the PCB(s) in context with the IC package yields the same benefit. Co-design requires a digital thread across all fabrics, ensuring that all design teams are working with the same data, and enabling cross-substrate trade-offs. Oen the bridge between chip and system PCB, IC packaging offers the best opportu- nity for optimizing signal performance, power delivery/integrity, and interconnect optimiza- tion. Using a multi-substrate design approach, simulation becomes an achievable reality, from Enabling a Digital Thread Across IC/Package/PCB Design Digital Transformation by David Wiens, SIEMENS EDA