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From: sllu@jenny.isi.edu (Shih-Lien Lu)
Newsgroups: comp.lsi
Subject: Re: Volume chip costs.
Message-ID: <16774@venera.isi.edu>
Date: 15 Feb 91 00:16:48 GMT
References: <1991Feb14.103845.20434@news.iastate.edu>
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In article <1991Feb14.103845.20434@news.iastate.edu> mpurtell@iastate.edu (Purtell Michael J) writes:
>I was curious what it would cost, approximately, to have 100 or 500
>MOSIS tiny chips (40 pin ceramic package) manufactured.
>This would be assuming that a few chips had already been run so that the
>masks had alread been made.
>Thanks!

I assume you have made a few 2um TinyChips thru MOSIS. The bad news is that
you have to make the masks again most likely. The masks your project
is on also have about fifty other designs. I believe MOSIS put a TinyChip
design on 2 sites each wafer (2um). If you do not make a new masks
set, to get 100 parts you need 50 wafers. To get 500 parts you need 250
wafers. Assume wafers are ~$1K a piece, that adds up to $50K or $250K
for 100 and 500 parts respectively.  Of course the price per wafer
depends on the total number of wafers fabricated. So I think the numbers
are $50K and $150K for 100 and 500 parts respectively ($600 per wafer
instead of $1K when you order 500 wafers).
This way you also end up with many other designs besides yours.
(It would be nice if everyone wants to have 100-500 parts)
To make a new set of masks will cost you ~$25K (you may get it with $20K).
I believe you need to buy at least 5 wafers from a fabricator at >$2K
a wafer (since you are buying only 5 wafers instead of 100 wafers).
I would think you need at least $35K to get the additional 100 parts.
That translates to $350 per part!!! Compare this $$$ with packaging cost!
Wow!
Now there are other ways around this "small volume production" problem.
MOSIS could increase the number of sites on a wafer for your design.
(Please call MOSIS up to arrange it)
You can also do it yourself by putting multiple copies of your
design into one larger size of project. I believe you can get the
price per part down to ~$25.

Hope this help.

Shih-Lien


Disclaimer:: "I speak for myself only."