Powering Future Technology Nodes | PFTN semiconductor

The national finals of the 9th “Huawei Cup” China Graduate Integrated Circuit Innovation Competition concluded successfully on August 16 at the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) in Shenzhen. Bringing together top graduate research teams from universities nationwide, this annual event stands as not only a premier contest of technical prowess among young IC talents, but also a comprehensive review of the reserve talent pool powering China’s integrated circuit industry. Gathered in Shenzhen — known as “Pengcheng” — all participating teams demonstrated the mission and dedication of the new generation of chip innovators through solid professional expertise and creative spirit.

For this year’s competition, Pengfeng Tuna put forward the corporate proposition “High-Density Logic Circuit Design and DTCO Co-Optimization Based on Regular Vertical Nanowire Arrays”, which targets cutting-edge academic research. Built upon the highly regular vertical array architecture of memory devices, the proposition explores its adaptation to logic circuit design. It aims to deliver simultaneous improvements in both transistor density and logic gate density while ensuring logical functionality, with full consideration given to device interconnect parasitics and process feasibility.

The challenge was structured in two phases: baseline establishment and open innovation. Participating teams leveraged the Mozz TCAD software suite for simulation evaluation and model extraction, conducting in-depth research in areas including novel material integration, parasitic extraction, and process simulation. Following intense competition, four outstanding teams claimed one first prize and three second prizes under the Pengfeng Tuna corporate proposition track. Among them, the “TCAD Forever” and “Xinhuai Dazhi” teams were awarded the competition’s second-place team prizes for their entries in the Pengfeng Tuna proposition.

At the EDA & AI for IC Innovative Technology Forum, Dr. Chen SHEN from Pengfeng Tuna noted that as Moore’s Law decelerates, virtual fabs have emerged as critical infrastructure for driving industry breakthroughs. Pengfeng Tuna has achieved full-process coverage spanning deposition, lithography, etching, ion implantation, and on-chip thermal simulation, with deeply deployed block-level DTCO workflows now widely adopted for pre-tapeout evaluation among commercial clients. Dr. SHEN also shared recent case studies of AI agent applications in process tuning, showcasing the vast potential of AI-driven simulation technology.

With 18 years of dedication to independent R&D, Pengfeng Tuna has nurtured nearly 100 outstanding EDA engineers in-house. As a long-standing supporter of the competition, the company has served as a sponsor for eight consecutive years. This year, a dedicated “Corporate Proposition Award” was introduced to recognize teams selecting the company’s proposition track. Exceptional participants are also warmly invited to join the company’s internship program, working together to shape China’s IC future.

Guided by its mission of “Innovating Chips, Selecting Stars, Nurturing Talent”, Pengfeng Tuna will continue to advance industry-academia-research integration. We look forward to gathering again in 2027!