Are ASIC's Really on the Decline? The ASIC Model: Future Directions

Is there a future for the ASIC Model? Much has been much debated regarding the future of the ASIC model in the semiconductor industry. Many suggest that ASIC design starts are declining, yet little concrete data is available to support this. Toshiba, arguably one of the largest semiconductor companies in the world, is actively engaged in the ASIC model. Toshiba reports recent evidence that it is seeing a trend towards greater adoption of the ASIC model by consumer electronics manufacturers. This presentation will highlight the following: * ASIC model applicability for CE companies * Future of the ASIC model globally * ASIC model impact on Europe * The role fabless companies play in the chip development process

Mr. Tatsuo Noguchi was born in Osaka, Japan in 1958. He received the B.E. and M.E. degrees in electronics from Toyohashi University of Technology in Aichi, Japan. 1983 he joined Semiconductor Technology Laboratories of TOSHIBA Corporation in Kawasaki, Japan, where he has been engaged in research and development of CMOS technologies. From 1995 to 1998 he was product manager at Iwate Toshiba Electronics. After his return to TOSHIBA Corporation in Kawasaki, he managed the development of CMOS and embedded memory technologies between 1998 and 2005 as Manager and Senior Manager. From 2005 to 2008, he moved to a Business Unit where he managed Telecommunication LSIs and Imaging Devices business unit. In 2008 Mr. Noguchi was promoted to Technology Executive and is currently responsible for SoC products and Platform technologies in System LSI division of Toshiba Semiconductor Company.