{"id":4548,"date":"2026-01-25T22:23:23","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T04:23:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ykim.synology.me\/wordpress\/?p=4548"},"modified":"2026-01-25T22:39:19","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T04:39:19","slug":"fom-in-semiconductor-foundry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ykim.synology.me\/wordpress\/fom-in-semiconductor-foundry-4548\/","title":{"rendered":"Figure of Merit (FoM) in Semiconductor Foundry"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the semiconductor foundry industry, a <strong><mark style=\"background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)\" class=\"has-inline-color has-theme-palette-12-color\">Figure of Merit (FoM)<\/mark><\/strong> is a standardized numerical value used to quantify the performance and efficiency of a manufacturing process or a specific device [1]. These metrics allow foundries and chip designers to determine if a new technology node\u2014such as the transition from 5nm to 3nm\u2014provides enough improvement to justify the massive research and manufacturing costs [2].<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Process-Level FoM: The &#8220;PPA&#8221; Standard<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For logic foundries, the most critical FoM is known as <strong>PPA<\/strong> (Power, Performance, and Area) [3]. This represents the &#8220;golden triangle&#8221; of chip design and is used to benchmark every new process generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Power:<\/strong> Focuses on reducing both dynamic power (energy used during switching) and static leakage current, which is vital for mobile devices [4].<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Performance:<\/strong> Typically measured by the maximum clock frequency (<math data-latex=\"F_{max}\"><semantics><msub><mi>F<\/mi><mrow><mi>m<\/mi><mi>a<\/mi><mi>x<\/mi><\/mrow><\/msub><annotation encoding=\"application\/x-tex\">F_{max}<\/annotation><\/semantics><\/math>) or the speed at which transistors operate [3].<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Area:<\/strong> Refers to the physical density of transistors. Foundries strive for &#8220;scaling,&#8221; which allows more transistors to fit in the same square millimeter, reducing the cost per chip [2].<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Device-Level Figures of Merit<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Beyond the overall process, engineers use specific device-level FoMs to compare the physical capabilities of transistors, especially for power and radio frequency (RF) applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure style=\"margin-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--80);margin-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--50)\" class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><td><strong>FoM Type<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Key Metrics<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Application<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Baliga FoM (BFoM)<\/strong><\/td><td><math data-latex=\"\\epsilon \\cdot \\mu \\cdot E_c^3\"><semantics><mrow><mi>\u03f5<\/mi><mo>\u22c5<\/mo><mi>\u03bc<\/mi><mo>\u22c5<\/mo><msubsup><mi>E<\/mi><mi>c<\/mi><mn>3<\/mn><\/msubsup><\/mrow><annotation encoding=\"application\/x-tex\">\\epsilon \\cdot \\mu \\cdot E_c^3<\/annotation><\/semantics><\/math><script><math data-latex=\"\"><\/math><\/script><\/td><td>Used for <strong>Power Devices<\/strong>. It defines the material&#8217;s ability to handle high voltage with minimum resistance [5].<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Gate Charge FoM<\/strong><\/td><td><math data-latex=\"R_{on} \\times Q_g\"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi>R<\/mi><mrow><mi>o<\/mi><mi>n<\/mi><\/mrow><\/msub><mo>\u00d7<\/mo><msub><mi>Q<\/mi><mi>g<\/mi><\/msub><\/mrow><annotation encoding=\"application\/x-tex\">R_{on} \\times Q_g<\/annotation><\/semantics><\/math><\/td><td>Used for <strong>Switching Efficiency<\/strong>. It balances electrical resistance against the energy needed to turn the device on\/off [6].<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Johnson&#8217;s FoM<\/strong><\/td><td><math data-latex=\"E_c \\cdot v_s \/ 2\\pi\"><semantics><mrow><msub><mi>E<\/mi><mi>c<\/mi><\/msub><mo>\u22c5<\/mo><msub><mi>v<\/mi><mi>s<\/mi><\/msub><mi>\/<\/mi><mn>2<\/mn><mi>\u03c0<\/mi><\/mrow><annotation encoding=\"application\/x-tex\">E_c \\cdot v_s \/ 2\\pi<\/annotation><\/semantics><\/math><\/td><td>Used for <strong>RF\/High-Speed<\/strong>. It evaluates how well a material can handle high power at very high frequencies [7].<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. The Role of DTCO in Foundry FoMs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Modern foundries utilize <strong>DTCO (Design-Technology Co-Optimization)<\/strong> to maximize these FoMs [8]. As traditional &#8220;shrinking&#8221; becomes harder due to the laws of physics, foundries change the device architecture itself to improve the FoM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For example, the shift from <strong>FinFET<\/strong> to <strong>Gate-All-Around (GAA)<\/strong> transistors was driven by the need to maintain a high FoM for electrostatic control and power efficiency at nodes below 5nm [9].<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>References<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/search?q=https:\/\/www.techopedia.com\/definition\/16012\/figure-of-merit-fom\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">What is a Figure of Merit? &#8211; Definition from Techopedia<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/anysilicon.com\/how-to-choose-a-semiconductor-process-node\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">How to Choose a Semiconductor Process Node? &#8211; AnySilicon<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.synopsys.com\/glossary\/what-is-power-performance-area-ppa.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">What is PPA in Silicon Chip Design? &#8211; Synopsys<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/mosartlabs.com\/understanding-power-performance-area-ppa-in-vlsi-the-golden-triangle-of-chip-design\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Understanding Power, Performance &amp; Area (PPA) in VLSI &#8211; MOSart Labs<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/3075710_Power_Semiconductor_Device_Figure_of_Merit_for_High-Power-Density_Converter_Design_Applications\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Figures of Merit for Power Devices &#8211; ResearchGate<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.allaboutcircuits.com\/news\/figures-of-merit-power-design-reliable-benchmark-evolving-standard\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Figures of Merit in Power Design: A Reliable Benchmark? &#8211; All About Circuits<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Johnson%27s_figure_of_merit\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Johnson&#8217;s figure of merit &#8211; Wikipedia<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.synopsys.com\/manufacturing\/tcad\/dtco.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Design Technology Co-Optimization (DTCO) Solutions &#8211; Synopsys<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/semiconductor.samsung.com\/foundry\/process-technology\/logic-node\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Process Technology &#8211; Logic Node | Foundry | Samsung Semiconductor Global<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gemini<\/p>\n<div style='text-align:center' class='yasr-auto-insert-overall'><\/div><div style='text-align:center' class='yasr-auto-insert-visitor'><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the semiconductor foundry industry, a Figure of Merit (FoM) is a standardized numerical value used to quantify the performance and efficiency of a manufacturing process or a specific device [1]. These metrics allow foundries and chip designers to determine if a new technology node\u2014such as the transition from 5nm to 3nm\u2014provides enough improvement to&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","yasr_overall_rating":0,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,344],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4548","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-semiconductor-slug","category-foundry-slug"],"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":false,"span_bottom":false},"number_of_votes":0,"sum_votes":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ykim.synology.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4548","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ykim.synology.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ykim.synology.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ykim.synology.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ykim.synology.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4548"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/ykim.synology.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4548\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4560,"href":"https:\/\/ykim.synology.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4548\/revisions\/4560"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ykim.synology.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4548"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ykim.synology.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4548"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ykim.synology.me\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4548"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}