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SAFE™ IP Alliance

SAFE™ IP Alliance, the Core of the Advanced
Foundry Ecosystem

Samsung Foundry works with IP partners to provide a comprehensive portfolio, fulfilling customer needs across a wide variety of applications.

IP Partners and Sub-license Partners

We foster close collaboration and shared growth with our partners throughout all stages of IP planning.
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A Comprehensive IP Portfolio

By expanding the SAFE™ IP ecosystem with our partners and continuously securing the latest IPs, we provide a comprehensive portfolio that is optimized for each application.
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SAFE™ Quality Control Program (QCP)

Our QCP ensures that we provide IPs and libraries that meet customers' quality standards, thereby enhancing design robustness and reliability.
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SAFE™ IP Partner Program Flow Chart

1. Identifying customer needs and collaborating with IP partners to establish development plans

  • Signing of Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs)
  • Sharing process development plans
  • Providing PDKs/DKs and MPW shuttle reservation services

2. Step-by-step support for partners according to specific IP development plans

  • Providing necessary resources according to Samsung Foundry procedures, such as design/QA flow, sign-off, etc.
  • Conducting MPW shuttle and providing sample chips
  • Managing processes — such as silicon characterization result review — to achieve target performance and quality

3. Registering an IP on the CONNECT™ platform

  • Once an IP completes development and meets the SAFE™ QCP's performance and quality standards, partners can register it on CONNECT™, the Samsung Foundry B2B service platform
  • The IP can then be promoted to mutual customers of Samsung Foundry and its partners, creating promising business opportunities

IP and Sub-license Partners

We provide a superior environment for our partners’ IP business and development, optimized for Samsung Foundry’s process technology.  In addition, we work with sub-license partners to customize silicon-proven IPs to meet customer requirements and provide the technical support they need to complete product development and mass production a timely manner. Through this comprehensive approach, we are able to consistently provide customer-centric IPs of a high standard.

Support for Partners’
IP developments

We support IP partners so they can focus on development optimized to Samsung Foundry process technologies. Our support includes providing Process Design Kits (PDKs) / Design Kits (DKs), reference sign-off guides, Multi-Project Wafer (MPW) shuttle services, silicon samples, and more.

Registering to CONNECT™

Partner IPs will be registered to CONNECT™, Samsung Foundry’s B2B service platform, which allows customers to easily find the IPs they need. Through the IP tagging system, partners can manage the status of IPs in mass production and utilize them for promotion.

Sub-license IP Partners

Sub-license partners not only provide IPs optimized for their customers’ needs based on Samsung Foundry’s silicon-proven IPs, but also offer technical support to ensure that customers are able to seamlessly use their IPs in products.

A Comprehensive IP Portfolio

Samsung Foundry enables infinite possibilities for applications with comprehensive IP portfolios ranging from the basics to the cutting edge.

Samsung Foundry has comprehensive IP portfolios that can be applied to a variety of customer applications including mobile, high-performance computing (HPC), artificial intelligence (AI), and automotive.
In order to provide customers with the IPs they need in a timely manner, we continuously secure the latest IPs that are the most integral to Foundry's technological competitiveness while building up the SAFE™ IP ecosystem with the world-class partners.

A digital illustration of a circuit board highlighting pathways that resemble high speed interface IPs
HPC IP

Together with its SAFE™ partners, Samsung Foundry secures high-speed interface IPs - UCle, SerDes, PCIe, and HBM PHY - in advance and applies them to high-specification systems. It allows us to meet customers' rapidly evolving needs and expectations for high-performance silicon, such as 2.5D and 3D ICs.

A person interacting with a user interface which displays an automotive surrounded by various vehicle componenets
Automotive IP
  • Samsung Foundry's automotive IPs deliver high reliability. Holds AEC-Q100 certification, the quality standard for automotive semiconductors
  • Meets the stringent requirements of vehicle components, such as ISO 26262, the international standard for automotive functional safety
Additionally, Samsung Foundry actively responds to the high-performance and low-power needs of automotive applications. Key IPs related to microcontrollers (MCUs), advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), and in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) have been proven on Samsung Foundry's 14nm, 8nm, and 5nm automotive process technologies.

* MCU: Microcontroller Unit; a low-cost mini application processor. Many cars can have 100, but the trend is toward less but more powerful devices.

SAFE™ Quality Control Program (QCP)

The SAFE™ QCP has been developed by Samsung Foundry to ensure that IPs and libraries — developed with its IP partners and based on Samsung Foundry’s unique process technologies — benefit customers by consistently meeting high standards.

The IPs and libraries provided by Samsung Foundry and its IP partners meet quality requirements that are based on the standard operating procedure (SOP) of the SAFE™ QCP.
This helps customers to shorten the time required to select the IP that is the best fit for them, thereby lowering their cost of ownership (TCO).

Flowchart detailing the four levels of IP maturity for semiconductor development, ranging from Corner Silicon Proven to Mass Production, with associated testing and validation steps, leading to registration with Samsung's CONNECT™ B2B portal.

The SAFE™ QCP verifies the quality of IPs by examining specific product elements from development to deployment.

  • Based on Samsung Foundry’s basic sign-off, design flow, and IP QA flow, the required level of quality is checked at each stage of development
  • Prior to test chip tape-out, both a physical review and step-by-step evaluation are conducted
  • After test chip fab-out, an evaluation of test chip characterization is conducted by dividing it into typical silicon and corner silicon
  • Then, the mass production record is evaluated with additional evaluations being conducted on IPs for automotive applications

IP partners that are members of Samsung CONNECT™ can use the SAFE™ QCP for new IP registrations and modifications. Samsung Foundry assigns grades to each item after evaluating materials submitted by members.
Learn more about the above information, IP details, and grades by accessing CONNECT™ at the SAFE™ menu under “Design”.

Become a SAFE™ IP Partner

Please download the application form, fill it in, and send it to
safe.ip@samsung.com.

Download application form