FN0-125 approach - Foundry Networks Certified Network Engineer (FNCNE) Updated: 2023

Cadence EMX 3D Planar Solver Certified for Samsung Foundry 8nm LPP Process Technology

Highlights

• EMX 3D Planar Solver empowers customers to achieve accurate, high-capacity EM analysis, resulting in first-pass silicon success and faster time to market
• EMX 3D Planar Solver achieved strong results across all of Samsung certification criteria

Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: CDNS) today announced that the Cadence® EMX® 3D Planar Solver is now certified for use with Samsung Foundry’s advanced 8nm Low Power Plus (LPP) process technology. The EMX Solver is the first electromagnetic (EM) solver on the market to achieve this milestone, having successfully passed all of Samsung’s detailed certification criteria. Joint customers can confidently adopt the EMX Solver into their advanced designs to ensure highly accurate, high-capacity EM analysis, avoiding unintentional parasitics and crosstalk effects. Through this latest collaboration between Cadence and Samsung Foundry, customers can achieve first-pass silicon success and accelerate time to market.

A foundry-certified EM modeling engine is essential for successful block- and chip-level analysis and signoff. Accurate EM models are fundamental for designing ICs for today’s cutting-edge applications. A wide array of inductors featuring various configurations were manufactured and measured by Samsung for the certification process, and the EMX Solver performed with extremely high accuracy in all categories.

With the EMX Solver, customers can simulate large circuit blocks, characterize the EM behavior of passive components, and analyze on-chip parasitics. The solver can analyze advanced-node process fabrication effects, including width- and spacing-dependent effects. The EMX Solver is seamlessly integrated in Cadence’s custom/analog design flow with all Virtuoso® releases, including the AI-based Virtuoso Studio, as well as the Virtuoso Analog Design Environment and Spectre® RF Option.

“Through our longstanding collaboration with Cadence, we’ve provided customers with the powerful tools they need to achieve first-pass silicon success with advanced node designs,” said Sangyun Kim, vice president and head of the Foundry Design Technology Team at Samsung Electronics. “Our strong partnership ensures that customers can leverage the EMX 3D Planar Solver to accelerate design closure with our 8nm LPP process technology.”

“Today’s designs at advanced process nodes must withstand crosstalk effects,” said Ben Gu, corporate vice president of R&D for the Multiphysics System Analysis Business Unit at Cadence. “Accurate, high-capacity EM analysis is essential to safeguard these designs from unintentional parasitics. The Cadence EMX 3D Planar Solver is not only the industry’s gold-standard EM, it now boasts Samsung certification so that our mutual customers can continue designing at the very edge of the technology, confidently.”

The EMX 3D Planar Solver supports the Cadence Intelligent System Design™ strategy, enabling system-on-chip (SoC) design excellence and system innovation. For more information on the EMX 3D Planar Solver, please visit www.cadence.com/go/EMXSolverCertification.

About Cadence

Cadence is a pivotal leader in electronic systems design, building upon more than 30 years of computational software expertise. The company applies its underlying Intelligent System Design strategy to deliver software, hardware and IP that turn design concepts into reality. Cadence customers are the world’s most innovative companies, delivering extraordinary electronic products from chips to boards to complete systems for the most dynamic market applications, including hyperscale computing, 5G communications, automotive, mobile, aerospace, consumer, industrial and healthcare. For nine years in a row, Fortune magazine has named Cadence one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For. Learn more at cadence.com.

© 2023 Cadence Design Systems, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Cadence, the Cadence logo and the other Cadence marks found at www.cadence.com/go/trademarks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cadence Design Systems, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Category: Featured

Cadence Newsroom
408-944-7039
newsroom@cadence.com

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231109106546/en/

A Minnesota iron foundry has been violating air emissions laws for at least five years, but the state agency responsible for enforcing air permits didn't take action against the company, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Wednesday.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency tested the air along the perimeter of Smith Foundry in Minneapolis in October 2022 and in April, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA said that both times, the state recorded high levels of particulate matter, which can cause heart attacks, asthmas and chronic health conditions.

But it wasn't until a surprise EPA inspection in May that federal regulators made demands that the company comply with air pollution laws.

SALMON DEATHS LEAD US REGULATORS TO REVIEW COMMON CHEMICAL FOUND IN TIRES

"It’s such a breach of trust," said Joe Vital, who lives near the foundry. "The community has met for years with the MPCA asking them to inspect this facility. It’s just regulatory neglect."

MPCA officials said they are reviewing the EPA’s findings.

"The MPCA is committed to scheduling a community meeting with the neighborhood as soon as possible," a statement released Tuesday read. "We are also working to increase air monitoring near Smith Foundry."

The newspaper reported that during the May 26 inspection, EPA investigators pulled the company’s last five years of emissions reports, which it submits annually to the state agency. In each of those years the company reported data indicating it emitted particulate-matter pollution at rates that were nearly twice as high or more than twice as high as state limits allowed.

Asked why it didn’t detect the violations, the MPCA said it doesn’t require the company to submit the data it would need to determine that.

The foundry has operated at the same site for 100 years and makes iron castings. It has about 50 employees and was purchased by Zynik Capital in December. MPCA emissions reports show that it has long been one of the biggest producers of lead pollution in Minnesota.

"We’re working with the EPA trying to get everything resolved," foundry controller Ron Steffens told the Star Tribune. "We’ve been doing some maintenance around the plant to get things corrected."

ILLINOIS SENATE APPROVES REVERSAL OF DECADES-OLD NUCLEAR POWER MORATORIUM

The company said in a statement that it replaced filters on its baghouses, welded cracks and replaced problem vents identified by inspectors. It pledged to meet "safe standards for our neighbors and union workers."

The EPA wrote in a letter to the company in August that it could issue an administrative penalty order or pursue a civil or criminal complaint. An EPA official declined comment.

Evan Mulholland, a lawyer with the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, questioned why the state wasn't investigating the site long ago.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"This is not in the middle of nowhere — there’s a day care a quarter-mile away," Mulholland said.

MINNEAPOLIS — Pollution violations at a Twin Cities metal factory may have harmed the community and environment.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says that Smith Foundry in Minneapolis' East Phillips neighborhood released twice the amount of air emissions allowed.

Families living near Smith Foundry have long complained about it, and have worried about what they're breathing in.

Cassandra Holmes is a board member of the East Phillips Neighborhood Institute (EPNI).

"You are always seeing like big old smoke, nasty dark smoke, whenever you come through it stinks and you're like trying to cover your nose," Holmes said. "The number one thing is the pollution and the harm it causes on our community members."

MORE NEWS: Thousands of Minnesotans could be drinking contaminated water, EPA says

During an unannounced inspection in May, the EPA says it found several violations of the Clean Air Act. An EPA letter to the foundry shows that over the last five years, the foundry reported its casting and pouring areas emitted about double the amount of particle pollution allowed. 

The EPA also said the foundry's lead emissions "could endanger human health or the environment."

Fellow EPNI board member Steve Sandberg says he gets headaches he thinks are tied to the foundry. 

"To find out that they've been operating at twice their permitted level is like shocking," Sandberg said.  

And he worries about the health of his neighbors. 

"We've got a daycare center right across the street on Cedar [Avenue] there, and you know, we've got a greenway," he said.

They question why the EPA discovered the pollution and not the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), who they've complained to for years. 

"They found all this stuff, and a lot of the stuff MPCA had access to and apparently couldn't, you know, or didn't whatever, you know," Sandberg said.

MORE NEWS: Minneapolis community group secures funding to purchase Roof Depot site

"For me personally, I felt like do you guys not care?" Holmes said.

The MPCA told WCCO that the EPA requested additional information beyond what is required to be submitted to the MPCA.

The community says they deserve better.

"This needs to be taken seriously, this needs to be held accountable, they need to be held accountable," Holmes said.

A new owner bought Smith Foundry last December. In a statement released to WCCO late Friday afternoon, a spokesperson said the foundry "is committed to clean air for neighbors … and has been actively working with regulators to address and correct any issues."

The MPCA said an inspection on Monday found pollution control equipment was operating. It plans to schedule a community meeting and increase air monitoring.

By Jesse Allen, Gregory Haley, and Liz Allan

Bosch, Infineon, and NXP were cleared in Germany to each acquire 10% of the European Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (ESMC), established by TSMC, solidifying the supply chain against future shortages, particularly for automotive chips. “ESMC intends to build and operate another large semiconductor factory in Dresden, in which the three European technology companies are also to be involved.”

Synopsys extended its ARC Processor IP portfolio to include new RISC-V ARC-V IP. This marks the first substantive push by one of the big three EDA/IP vendors into the RISC-V market, with established tools, flows, and methodologies necessary to move RISC-V into a broad range of applications. The IP is available in 32-bit and 64-bit high-performance, mid-range, and ultra-low power options, for embedded automotive, storage, and IoT applications. Functional safety versions with integrated hardware safety features also will be available.

Keysight acquired 50.6% of the share capital of ESI Group and filed a public tender offer for the remaining outstanding shares. ESI Group, based in France, provides virtual prototyping solutions for automotive, aerospace, and heavy industry end markets that can create real-time digital twins to simulate a product’s behavior during testing and real-life use.

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory unveiled a self-assembling nanosheet that it says is multi-purpose, scalable enough for commercial applications, and completely recyclable.

Tesla will manufacture an affordable EV, entering the market at €25,000 ($26,838), to be produced at Tesla’s gigafactory near Berlin, according to statements made by Elon Musk while visiting the Tesla factory in Gruenheide. Meanwhile, Volkswagen plans to build an under-$35,000 EV in the U.S. or Mexico, according to statements made at the Reuters Events Automotive USA 2023 conference in Detroit.

Quick links to more news:

Design and Power
Manufacturing and Test
Automotive
Security
Pervasive Computing and AI
Top In-Depth Reports
Events

Design and Power

The IEEE 1666-2023 Standard for SystemC Language Reference Manual (LRM) is now available for free get from Accellera as part of the IEEE GET Program. SystemC is a language for system-level design, high-level synthesis, modeling, and verification. “This revision provides a new C++ baseline leveraging a mature ISO C++ version, numerous enhancements, and key new capabilities, notably for communicating with other simulations, such as simulation stage callbacks or the suspend mechanism,” said Jerome Cornet, IEEE 1666 Working Group Chair.

OpenHW Group introduced the multi-member CORE-V CVA6 Platform project, an open-source FPGA-based software development and testing environment for RISC-V processors designed to provide a vendor-neutral environment for RISC-V software CI and testing that keeps pace with RISC-V standards.

Ventana Micro Systems debuted the second generation of its Veyron family of RISC-V processors for data centers, automotive, 5G, AI, and client applications.

Cadence‘s EMX 3D Planar Solver for electromagnetic analysis was certified for Samsung Foundry’s advanced 8nm Low Power Plus (LPP) process technology, and Cadence will make a new SkyWater Technology open-source 130 nm process design kit (PDK) available in the Cadence VLSI Fundamentals Education Kit. The kit teaches students how theories and concepts can be applied in the design of simple logic circuits and in the physical implementation of a simplified microprocessor.

Arteris received ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System certification.

Ansys and Materialise teamed up to integrate Ansys’ Additive Suite into Materialise’s 3D printing data and build preparation tool, enabling a workflow for managing additive manufacturing industrial projects, including in the medical and aerospace sectors.

Imagination Technologies launched the first product in a new line of high-performance GPU IP with support for DirectX for the desktop and laptop market.

Openedges Technology unveiled 7nm LPDDR5X PHY IP operating at 8533 Mbps.

IQM Quantum Computers announced a new enterprise-grade superconducting quantum computing platform that can be deployed in high-performance computing and data centers. It will be first available as a 54-qubit system, with a 150-qubit upgrade expected in 2025.

Microsoft and Photonic are collaborating on building scalable, fault-tolerant, and distributed quantum technologies.

Manufacturing and Test

The Department of Commerce (DOC) reached an initial agreement with a new nonprofit organization called SemiUS, the expected operator for the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC).

Teradyne established a strategic partnership with Technoprobe S.p.A. to offer higher performance semiconductor test interfaces to customers worldwide. As part of the deal, Teradyne will make an approximate $516 million equity investment in Technoprobe, and Technoprobe will acquire Teradyne’s Device Interface Solutions (DIS) business for $85 million.

Demand for semiconductor testing equipment dropped to its lowest point in three years in the second quarter of 2023, recording sales of $1.9 billion, reports YOLE. The research firm expects a 14% decline in 2023 sales compared to 2022, but a latest uptick in activity suggests a return to single-digit growth in 2024 and 2025.

Diamond Foundry created the world’s first (100mm) single-crystal diamond wafer. By using diamond heteroepitaxy, which creates single-crystal diamond on scalable substrates, and combined with other technologies, the company arrived at the first ever wafer that is a single crystal of diamond.

In alignment with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), Amkor announced it has committed to setting targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions including the formulation of both near-term and net zero emissions targets.

Automotive

Renesas unveiled a processor roadmap for next-gen automotive system on chips (SoCs), including R-Car SoCs with advanced in-package chiplet integration, Arm-based automotive microcontroller units (MCUs), and a virtual software development environment to support the auto industry’s shift left approach.

Infineon introduced its ISOFACE quad-channel digital isolators in two categories, one for automotive applications and the other for industrial, in a wide-body 300 mil PG-DSO-16 package. They offer an operating supply voltage range from 2.7 to 6.5 V, provide high immunity against system noise, and withstand up to 5700 V rms isolation voltage.

Vishay will acquire Nexperia’s automotive certified, 200mm wafer fab in Newport, UK for about $177 million in cash. Located on 28 acres, the fab is the largest semiconductor manufacturing site in the UK and primarily supplies automotive markets.

imec offered four takeaways from its second automotive chiplet conference. No. 1 is a recognition that chiplets will play a big role in future cars.

Lucid introduced RangeXchange, a vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) adapter enabling Lucid Air owners to directly charge other EVs via the company’s bi-directional charging technology and software. Lucid also announced its vehicles built with the current Combined Charging System (CCS) will be able to charge at stations in the Tesla Supercharger network by using an adapter in 2025, and the North American Charging Standard (NACS) will be integrated into future vehicles.

SK On will supply battery cell modules for the forthcoming Polestar 5 electric 4-door GT.

Idra won a contract with Volvo to install two 9,000 tons GigaPress machines at a greenfield site in Košice, Slovakia, positioning the new plant as a strategic hub for GigaCasting.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recalled Cruise autonomous vehicles. “In certain circumstances, a collision may occur, after which the Collision Detection Subsystem may cause the Cruise AV to attempt to pull over out of traffic instead of remaining stationary when a pullover is not the desired post-collision response.” Some Teslas were also recalled due to an issue with steering wheels fitted with the wrong airbags during servicing.

Global EV battery capacity sales grew 54% year over year in H1 2023, reaching over 300GWh, according to Counterpoint. Global EV sales grew 43% YoY with CATL leading the EV battery market followed by BYD and LG Energy Solutions. China, the U.S., and Europe were the leading regions for EV battery installations.

System optimization and lifecycle analysis can help remove heavy rare earth (HRE) elements from next-gen EV motors, according to an SAE interview with BorgWarner. Meanwhile, some Canadian, German, and Australian critical mineral explorers plan to charge premium prices for key EV metals in exchange for helping to shift reliance away from China, reports Reuters.

Just 2% of vehicles currently have zonal E/E architectures, but the proportion is predicted to be 38% by 2034, according to an SAE report.

Cloud-based technology can greatly enhance the lifespan and safety of lithium-ion batteries, according to scientists from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Durapower.

Ansys Speos was integrated with Sony Semiconductor Solutions’ sensor models for high-fidelity image sensor simulation of camera features for automotive applications including autonomous vehicles and ADAS. It supports simulation of spectral effects, high dynamic range, and LED light flicker mitigation, and image sensor phenomena such as motion blur and rolling shutter.

Security

Rambus researchers introduced a new approach to mitigating RowHammer attacks and improving server memory system reliability.

Network-on-chip (NoC) adoption has become widespread but the introduction of wireless interfaces has expanded potential vulnerabilities. Researchers at Macquarie University reviewed advances and research.

A structural feature-based Trojan detection method in FPGAs cell-level netlist offered an average detection rate of 95.41%, according to researchers at Kwangwoon University.

The global hardware security module market was valued at $1.3 billion in 2022 and may reach $5.2 billion by 2032 at a compound annual growth rate of 14.7%, according to a report by Allied Market Research.

Executives representing Siemens AG, Ericsson, Schneider Electric, and other electronics companies penned a joint letter to EU industry chief Thierry Breton and other officials about a proposed Cyber Resilience Act. They wrote, “the law as it stands risks creating bottlenecks that will disrupt the single market, affecting millions of products – from washing machines to toys, cybersecurity products, as well as vital components for heat pumps, cooling machines and high-tech manufacturing.”

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) launched a campaign encouraging “critical infrastructure stakeholders to take specific, time-sensitive actions that reduce risk in response to specific threat intelligence.” FEMA and CISA released a joint guide to help emergency managers plan for cyber incidents; CISA, the National Security Agency (NSA), and partners released guidance on securing the software supply chain; and CISA issued numerous other alerts and advisories.

Pervasive Computing and AI

X.ai launched a beta AI model called Grok, which will have real-time knowledge of the world via the X platform (formerly Twitter). “It will also answer spicy questions that are rejected by most other AI systems.” In a post on X, Elon Musk wrote, “Provided our vehicle AI computer is able to run the model, Tesla will probably have the most amount of true usable inference compute on Earth. Even in a robotaxi future, the cars will only be used for ~1/3 of hours/week, leaving 2/3 for distributed inference, like SETI.”

GCT Semiconductor plans to go public on the NYSE through a merger with SPAC Concord Acquisition Corp III. GCT develops LTE, IoT, and 5G SoC solutions integrating RF, baseband modem, digital signal processing, and protocol stack. The transaction values GCT at an enterprise value of approximately $461 million at closing and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2024.

At Samsung AI Forum, the company introduced Samsung Gauss Language, a generative language model that facilitates tasks such as composing emails, and which can enhance user experience by enabling smarter device control when integrated into products.

A virtual reality (VR) application features a range of 3D modeling tools that can be opened and controlled using the movement of a user’s hand, according to researchers at the University of Cambridge.

Infineon announced new microcontrollers (MCUs) in the PSoC portfolio based on high performance Arm Cortex-M55, offering scalable power and performance to support emerging AI/ML requirements, extensive HMI capabilities, and security features required for next-gen applications, such as smart home, security, wearables, robotics, and more.

Keysight Technologies validated the first protocol conformance test case for 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Release 17 (Rel-17) standards for non-terrestrial networks using narrowband internet of things (NB-IoT) technology. Keysight also worked with Metanoia Communications to verify the low physical layer 5G Open Radio Unit (O-RU) JURA Platform using Keysight Open RAN Studio.

Micron uncorked 32Gb monolithic die-based 128GB DDR5 RDIMM memory with speeds of up to 8000 MT/s for data center workloads.

Microchip Technology launched an 800G retimer for Active Electrical Cables (AECs) used in data centers.

MediaTek announced that its existing flagship mobile chip will use an “All Big Core” design.

Renesas extended its tender offer and received UK National Security and Investment Act (NSIA) clearance for its proposed acquisition of Sequans.

Top In-Depth Reports

New stories by the Semiconductor Engineering team this week:

In the latest startup funding report, data centers drew the largest investments out of $3.2 billion raised by 58 companies.

Test, Measurement, and Analytics

• Engineers are finding better pathways for tracking down killer defects earlier in the manufacturing process.
• Increased size, faster interfaces, and 2.5D/3D packages put a squeeze on DRAM inspection and test methods.
• Functional testing is gaining traction in the pursuit of known good die.
• Why a shortage of data often impedes root-cause failure.

Low Power, High Performance, and Space Chips

• What can possibly go wrong with chips outside the Earth’s atmosphere?
• AI workloads are changing processor design in some unexpected ways.
• The informal structural hierarchy used in semiconductor design is imperfect but adequate for most tasks, yet other hierarchies are needed.
• Industry experts discuss why SRAM is viewed as a critical element in new and traditional compute architectures including AI.

People

Simon Min Sze, a semiconductor physics visionary most notable for his contributions to the invention of the MOSFET, and a distinguished professor and author of multiple textbooks on semiconductor manufacturing, passed away Nov. 6 at the age of 87.

Events

Find upcoming chip industry events here, including:

Upcoming webinars are here.

Further reading and Newsletters

Read the latest special reports and top stories, or check out the latest newsletters:

Systems and Design
Low Power-High Performance
Test, Measurement and Analytics
Manufacturing, Packaging and Materials
Automotive, Security and Pervasive Computing

MINNEAPOLIS -- A Minnesota iron foundry has been violating air emissions laws for at least five years, but the state agency responsible for enforcing air permits didn't take action against the company, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Wednesday.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency tested the air along the perimeter of Smith Foundry in Minneapolis in October 2022 and in April, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA said that both times, the state recorded high levels of particulate matter, which can cause heart attacks, asthmas and chronic health conditions.

But it wasn't until a surprise EPA inspection in May that federal regulators made demands that the company comply with air pollution laws.

“It’s such a breach of trust,” said Joe Vital, who lives near the foundry. “The community has met for years with the MPCA asking them to inspect this facility. It’s just regulatory neglect.”

MPCA officials said they are reviewing the EPA’s findings.

“The MPCA is committed to scheduling a community meeting with the neighborhood as soon as possible,” a statement released Tuesday read. “We are also working to increase air monitoring near Smith Foundry.”

The newspaper reported that during the May 26 inspection, EPA investigators pulled the company’s last five years of emissions reports, which it submits annually to the state agency. In each of those years the company reported data indicating it emitted particulate-matter pollution at rates that were nearly twice as high or more than twice as high as state limits allowed.

Asked why it didn’t detect the violations, the MPCA said it doesn’t require the company to submit the data it would need to determine that.

The foundry has operated at the same site for 100 years and makes iron castings. It has about 50 employees and was purchased by Zynik Capital in December. MPCA emissions reports show that it has long been one of the biggest producers of lead pollution in Minnesota.

“We’re working with the EPA trying to get everything resolved,” foundry controller Ron Steffens told the Star Tribune. “We’ve been doing some maintenance around the plant to get things corrected.”

The company said in a statement that it replaced filters on its baghouses, welded cracks and replaced problem vents identified by inspectors. It pledged to meet “safe standards for our neighbors and union workers.”

The EPA wrote in a letter to the company in August that it could issue an administrative penalty order or pursue a civil or criminal complaint. An EPA official declined comment.

Evan Mulholland, a lawyer with the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, questioned why the state wasn't investigating the site long ago.

“This is not in the middle of nowhere — there’s a day care a quarter-mile away," Mulholland said.

A south Minneapolis iron foundry has been violating air emissions laws since at least 2018, according to federal pollution inspectors.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, which is responsible for enforcing the foundry's air permit, didn't take any action against the company during that time.

The state agency tested the air along the perimeter of Smith Foundry, an ironworks on E. 28th Street in the East Phillips neighborhood, in October 2022 and April 2023, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Both times, the state recorded high levels of particulate matter — a dangerous kind of pollution that can cause heart attacks, asthma and chronic health conditions.

It wasn't until May, when EPA investigators conducted a surprise inspection at the facility, that federal regulators made demands that the company comply with air pollution laws.

Residents near the foundry — who have often complained to the MPCA about fumes and smoke plumes — say they've been left wondering how the alleged violations weren't found earlier and why no action was taken until months after elevated levels of pollutants were first found.

"It's such a breach of trust," said Joe Vital, who lives in the East Phillips neighborhood. "The community has met for years with the MPCA asking them to inspect this facility. It's just regulatory neglect."

MPCA officials said in a statement Tuesday that they are still reviewing the EPA's findings.

"The MPCA is committed to scheduling a community meeting with the neighborhood as soon as possible," the statement read. "We are also working to increase air monitoring near Smith Foundry."

The EPA found several violations of the Clean Air Act at Smith Foundry during an unannounced inspection May 26, according to a copy of the inspection report provided by the EPA. The Sahan Journal was the first to report on the inspection last week.

During the inspection, the EPA pulled the company's last five years of emissions reports, which it submits annually to the MPCA. In each of those years the company reported data that showed it emitted particulate-matter pollution at rates that were nearly twice as high or more than twice as high as state limits allowed, according to the inspection.

It produced 12.44 pounds of the pollutant per hour in 2018, for example, when it was allowed to produce 5.66 pounds per hour, inspectors noted. Particulate matter contains microscopically small substances that can get deep into person's lungs and blood stream when inhaled.

Asked why it didn't detect the violations noted by EPA, the MPCA said it doesn't require the company to submit the data it would need to determine that.

"As part of its investigation, the EPA requested additional information from Smith beyond what is required to be submitted to the MPCA" to determine the foundry broke the state's rate limits, the MPCA told the Star Tribune.

The foundry, which has been at the site since 1923, makes iron castings. It has about 50 employees and was purchased by Zynik Capital in December 2022. The furnace melts an average of 20 tons of iron per day and recorded a total of 4,600 tons melted in 2022, according to the EPA.

Emissions reports kept by the MPCA show it has long been one of the biggest producers of lead pollution in the state — emitting about 200 pounds in 2021, by far the biggest source of lead emissions in Hennepin County.

The foundry is in a heavily polluted area of Minneapolis, next door to an asphalt plant and across the street from the former Roof Depot warehouse. It's a part of the city's Southside Green Zone, a group of industrially contaminated neighborhoods where the city wants to reduce pollution.

EPA inspectors said they found particulate matter in the air inside the facility, as well as escaping through "many" open doors and windows. They found cracks and holes in ductwork, and "observed that capture equipment was either absent, or failing to capture a significant portion" of the pollutant. One of the company's baghouses, a type of filter that controls air emissions, wasn't working, the inspection found.

The company failed to keep required inspection and maintenance records and it didn't notify the state when equipment failed or wasn't working properly, inspectors wrote.

"We're working with the EPA trying to get everything resolved," foundry controller Ron Steffens told the Star Tribune. "We've been doing some maintenance around the plant to get things corrected."

In a statement, the company said it replaced filters on its baghouses, welded cracks and replaced problem vents identified by inspectors. It pledged to meet "safe standards for our neighbors and union workers."

In an August letter to the company detailing the agency's findings, the EPA wrote that it could issue an administrative penalty order or pursue a civil or criminal complaint against the company.

An EPA spokeswoman declined to answer questions, or to confirm whether any fixes had been made since the May inspection.

"EPA cannot discuss open enforcement matters," she said.

The MPCA said it conducted an unannounced inspection of its own on Monday and found all equipment at the foundry was working.

The foundry has continued to operate since the inspection. Residents who live next to the plant said they are frustrated with the lack of information from both the state and the EPA.

"Our trust is just broken," Vital said. "People are scared and frustrated and angry and we are not very surprised, either, and that's sad."

Evan Mulholland, a lawyer with the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, said the state should have investigated the site long ago.

"How could it take so long to discover that devices were malfunctioning and records weren't being kept?" Mulholland said. "This is not in the middle of nowhere — there's a day care a quarter-mile away."

Vital said neighbors plan to hold a community meeting outside the foundry Friday.

Highlights

• EMX 3D Planar Solver empowers customers to achieve accurate, high-capacity EM analysis, resulting in first-pass silicon success and faster time to market
• EMX 3D Planar Solver achieved strong results across all of Samsung certification criteria

Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: CDNS) today announced that the Cadence® EMX® 3D Planar Solver is now certified for use with Samsung Foundry’s advanced 8nm Low Power Plus (LPP) process technology. The EMX Solver is the first electromagnetic (EM) solver on the market to achieve this milestone, having successfully passed all of Samsung’s detailed certification criteria. Joint customers can confidently adopt the EMX Solver into their advanced designs to ensure highly accurate, high-capacity EM analysis, avoiding unintentional parasitics and crosstalk effects. Through this latest collaboration between Cadence and Samsung Foundry, customers can achieve first-pass silicon success and accelerate time to market.

A foundry-certified EM modeling engine is essential for successful block- and chip-level analysis and signoff. Accurate EM models are fundamental for designing ICs for today’s cutting-edge applications. A wide array of inductors featuring various configurations were manufactured and measured by Samsung for the certification process, and the EMX Solver performed with extremely high accuracy in all categories.

With the EMX Solver, customers can simulate large circuit blocks, characterize the EM behavior of passive components, and analyze on-chip parasitics. The solver can analyze advanced-node process fabrication effects, including width- and spacing-dependent effects. The EMX Solver is seamlessly integrated in Cadence’s custom/analog design flow with all Virtuoso® releases, including the AI-based Virtuoso Studio, as well as the Virtuoso Analog Design Environment and Spectre® RF Option.

“Through our longstanding collaboration with Cadence, we’ve provided customers with the powerful tools they need to achieve first-pass silicon success with advanced node designs,” said Sangyun Kim, vice president and head of the Foundry Design Technology Team at Samsung Electronics. “Our strong partnership ensures that customers can leverage the EMX 3D Planar Solver to accelerate design closure with our 8nm LPP process technology.”

“Today’s designs at advanced process nodes must withstand crosstalk effects,” said Ben Gu, corporate vice president of R&D for the Multiphysics System Analysis Business Unit at Cadence. “Accurate, high-capacity EM analysis is essential to safeguard these designs from unintentional parasitics. The Cadence EMX 3D Planar Solver is not only the industry’s gold-standard EM, it now boasts Samsung certification so that our mutual customers can continue designing at the very edge of the technology, confidently.”

The EMX 3D Planar Solver supports the Cadence Intelligent System Design™ strategy, enabling system-on-chip (SoC) design excellence and system innovation. For more information on the EMX 3D Planar Solver, please visit www.cadence.com/go/EMXSolverCertification.

About Cadence

Cadence is a pivotal leader in electronic systems design, building upon more than 30 years of computational software expertise. The company applies its underlying Intelligent System Design strategy to deliver software, hardware and IP that turn design concepts into reality. Cadence customers are the world’s most innovative companies, delivering extraordinary electronic products from chips to boards to complete systems for the most dynamic market applications, including hyperscale computing, 5G communications, automotive, mobile, aerospace, consumer, industrial and healthcare. For nine years in a row, Fortune magazine has named Cadence one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For. Learn more at cadence.com.

© 2023 Cadence Design Systems, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Cadence, the Cadence logo and the other Cadence marks found at www.cadence.com/go/trademarks are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cadence Design Systems, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Category: Featured

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20231109106546/en/

SAN JOSE, Calif.— November 9, 2023 -- Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: CDNS) today announced that the Cadence® EMX® 3D Planar Solver is now certified for use with Samsung Foundry’s advanced 8nm Low Power Plus (LPP) process technology. The EMX Solver is the first electromagnetic (EM) solver on the market to achieve this milestone, having successfully passed all of Samsung’s detailed certification criteria. Joint customers can confidently adopt the EMX Solver into their advanced designs to ensure highly accurate, high-capacity EM analysis, avoiding unintentional parasitics and crosstalk effects. Through this latest collaboration between Cadence and Samsung Foundry, customers can achieve first-pass silicon success and accelerate time to market.

A foundry-certified EM modeling engine is essential for successful block- and chip-level analysis and signoff. Accurate EM models are fundamental for designing ICs for today’s cutting-edge applications. A wide array of inductors featuring various configurations were manufactured and measured by Samsung for the certification process, and the EMX Solver performed with extremely high accuracy in all categories.

With the EMX Solver, customers can simulate large circuit blocks, characterize the EM behavior of passive components, and analyze on-chip parasitics. The solver can analyze advanced-node process fabrication effects, including width- and spacing-dependent effects. The EMX Solver is seamlessly integrated in Cadence’s custom/analog design flow with all Virtuoso® releases, including the AI-based Virtuoso Studio, as well as the Virtuoso Analog Design Environment and Spectre® RF Option.

“Through our longstanding collaboration with Cadence, we’ve provided customers with the powerful tools they need to achieve first-pass silicon success with advanced node designs,” said Sangyun Kim, vice president and head of the Foundry Design Technology Team at Samsung Electronics. “Our strong partnership ensures that customers can leverage the EMX 3D Planar Solver to accelerate design closure with our 8nm LPP process technology.”

“Today’s designs at advanced process nodes must withstand crosstalk effects,” said Ben Gu, corporate vice president of R&D for the Multiphysics System Analysis Business Unit at Cadence. “Accurate, high-capacity EM analysis is essential to safeguard these designs from unintentional parasitics. The Cadence EMX 3D Planar Solver is not only the industry’s gold-standard EM, it now boasts Samsung certification so that our mutual customers can continue designing at the very edge of the technology, confidently.”

The EMX 3D Planar Solver supports the Cadence Intelligent System Design™ strategy, enabling system-on-chip (SoC) design excellence and system innovation. For more information on the EMX 3D Planar Solver, please visit www.cadence.com/go/EMXSolverCertification.

About Cadence

Cadence is a pivotal leader in electronic systems design, building upon more than 30 years of computational software expertise. The company applies its underlying Intelligent System Design strategy to deliver software, hardware and IP that turn design concepts into reality. Cadence customers are the world’s most innovative companies, delivering extraordinary electronic products from chips to boards to complete systems for the most dynamic market applications, including hyperscale computing, 5G communications, automotive, mobile, aerospace, consumer, industrial and healthcare. For nine years in a row, Fortune magazine has named Cadence one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For. Learn more at cadence.com.