THE USE OF SEMANTIC NETWORKS TO SUPPORT CONCURRENT ENGINEERING IN SEMICONDUCTOR PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

The design of semiconductor devices is an extremely complex and costly process. Numerous design and test iterations are typically necessary to finally complete a successful device. Competition in the industry h as forced semiconductor manufacturers to reduce design cycle times and costs. One method now being used to accomplish these objectives is co ncurrent engineering. This paper will review how concurrent engineerin g is being integrated into semiconductor device development and how ar tificial intelligence-based models will support concurrent engineering implementation. Major changes are needed in design simulation, method s of knowledge sharing, and incorporating best practices. A semantic n etwork is proposed that retains the knowledge of a product in a centra l repository as various engineers contribute to the product's developm ent. The knowledge contained in this central repository can be referen ced for applicability by engineers during product design, development, and production.