Ansys integrates NVIDIA Omniverse for real-time chip design

Ansys has announced it is adopting NVIDIA Omniverse application programming interfaces (APIs) to provide insights from Ansys physics solver results through real-time visualisation.

This integration is aimed at allowing designers to optimise semiconductor chips within the context of a system-on-a-chip, thereby enhancing 3D integrated circuit (3D-IC) design. The company stated that integrated circuit (IC) designers will now be able to interact with models of electromagnetic fields and thermal effects for quicker diagnostics and optimisation.

3D-ICs, known as multi-die chips, are vertically stacked assemblies of semiconductor chips. These 3D-ICs offer marked performance improvements without heightening power consumption due to their compact form factor. Nonetheless, denser 3D-ICs present design hurdles related to electromagnetic problems, heat management, and stress, complicating the tracing of these issues. Consequently, the need for 3D multiphysics visualisation becomes critical for the effective design and diagnostics of advanced applications.

This collaboration will deliver the real-time 3D-IC visualisation of results from Ansys solvers, including Ansys HFSS, Ansys Icepak, and Ansys RedHawk-SC. The integration facilitates designers to assess critical phenomena such as electromagnetic fields and temperature variations interactively. This solution enables the optimisation of next-generation chips to achieve faster data rates, enhanced functionality, and improved reliability.

Prith Banerjee, chief technology officer at Ansys, commented that "Advanced manufacturing relies on marrying the physical world with the digital. At Ansys, we are harnessing the power of the NVIDIA Omniverse platform to comprehensively simulate and design everything — from tiny semiconductors to the expansive factories where they are produced. Ansys tools, such as RedHawk-SC, already offer visualisation features, which are integrated with Omniverse to unlock a new realm of potential."

Furthermore, RedHawk-SC is now accelerated by NVIDIA Grace CPU Superchips, aiming to deliver more efficient multiphysics designs. Rev Lebaredian, vice president of Omniverse and simulation technology at NVIDIA, remarked, "Accelerated computing, AI physics, and physically based visualisation will drive the next era of industrial digitalisation. Ansys semiconductor solutions connected to Omniverse Cloud APIs will help accelerate the electronics ecosystem's design and engineering processes."

This news comes as Ansys prepares to demonstrate its 3D multiphysics visualisation capabilities at the upcoming Design Automation Conference in San Francisco, showcasing how IC designers can utilise real-time visualisation to enhance semiconductor chip design.