fabless model

The fabless/foundry model separates semiconductor design from semiconductor manufacturing. **Fabless companies own the product.** They decide the architecture, write or integrate the RTL, verify the chip, build software, and sell the finished device or system. Foundries own the process technology, wafer fabrication, process control, and manufacturing yield needed to turn that design into physical silicon. | Decision | Fabless company owns | Foundry owns | |---|---|---| | Product target | Workload, market, performance, software | Process options and manufacturability rules | | Design implementation | RTL, floorplan, timing, verification | PDK, device models, design rules | | Manufacturing execution | Tape-out package and wafer order | Masks, fab process, wafer sort data | | Scale-up | Demand forecast and product roadmap | Capacity, yield ramp, cycle time | **The model makes chip design more accessible but not easy.** A fabless team can avoid building a fab, yet it still must understand node selection, IP qualification, packaging, test, supply commitments, and the cost of a re-spin.