Matt is a force of nature in open silicon, and this interview is the second in our series on open silicon (see wafer.space first!). First, Matt is the creator of the Zero to ASIC Course, which has taken thousands of engineers, students, and makers from complete beginners to people who have actually taped out their own chips.
Second, Matt is the founder of Tiny Tapeout, a platform that has put nearly 3,000 chip designs into real silicon, and in the process built what might be the most accessible on-ramp to custom chip design that’s ever existed.
Together, those two things form a kind of end-to-end pipeline: learn to design, then actually build a real chip that no one else has really pulled off before.
Along the way, Matt has built a sprawling empire of STEM education focused on semiconductors, with content spanning technology, education, and the semiconductor industry.
From Zero To ASIC
Custom chip design has often been viewed as an exclusive realm reserved for seasoned engineers and large corporations. However, as Matt explains, this landscape is changing rapidly; in part because of pioneering work done by Efabless and wafer.space (previous episode here). His services require no expensive tools, no NDAs and no massive non-recurring engineering (NRE) costs.
Zero to ASIC started as a course; Matt put a call up online for a course offering to help students walk through making a chip design, using the Google Open Chip Program at Skywater’s foundry. His call to action immediately recruited 300 students to the course, which has grown to use different foundries and technologies.
Over the last few years, Matt has built Zero to ASIC into an achievable path to custom chip design, developing the resources and community surrounding this field.
Tiny Tapeout
Tiny Tapeout gets open-source designers a tiny bit of real-estate on a wafer coming out of a real fab. While Matt started sending Zero to ASIC students through the Google project, he quickly switched to Efabless and ultimately wafer.space to run student designs.
With the tools they’ve created, the work to design a chip can be done right in the browser, circumventing the need to install tools. Matt’s ultimate vision: chip design becomes as straightforward and widespread as PCB prototyping, fueled by open-source innovation and collaborative effort.
chip design becomes as straightforward and widespread as PCB prototyping,
Matt emphasizes the crucial role of accessible tools, the community’s contribution to open IP libraries, and the importance of democratizing access to chip fabrication technology.
Tiny Tapeout is cheap enough you can just throw it on a credit card.
What will the world look like with 10x more chip designers? By lowering the price (and hassle) by 10x, Matt enables a world where every undergrad can tape out their own chip..
Advice to a Young Engineer
Matt’s advice to a talented, curious 22-year-old electrical engineering graduate: just do it. Get on the next tapeout!
To learn, nothing beats doing. And Tiny Tapeout enables any student to participate in designing chips from end-to-end.
Navigating the world of custom chip design may seem daunting, but with the right resources and community support, it can be an accessible and rewarding journey. Students can start with basic projects, utilize the free lessons on Matt’s website, and engage with the community . . . anyone can explore the possibilities of ASIC design.
Check out Tiny Tapeout and the Zero to ASICs course to get started.
Show Notes
We explore how Tiny Tapeout is revolutionizing chip prototyping by making it more accessible, affordable, and educational. Matt Venn shares insights into the modern landscape of chip design, the role of open source tools, and the future of semiconductor workforce development.
Key topics:
The genesis and mission of Tiny Tapeout as a low-cost, multi-project wafer platform
How open source tools and PDKs are making chip design accessible to amateurs and students
The significance of multi-project wafers in reducing NRE costs and enabling first-time chip makers
Strategies for engaging educational institutions through online and in-person workshops
The evolution of the user base from hobbyists to industry professionals
The importance of IP libraries and the community-driven creation of open-source chip design assets
Challenges and opportunities in multi-foundry ecosystems and global supply chains
The declining trajectory of Moore’s Law and the rise of custom, specialized chips
The future vision: a Silicon community akin to PCB aggregation platforms
Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction to Matt Venn and Tiny Tapeout’s mission
02:00 - The story behind Zero to ASICs course and open source silicon tools
04:00 - How Micro-Opportunities and Lottery programs enabled first chips
06:00 - The inception of Tiny Tapeout and its multi-project wafer approach
07:40 - Cost benefits of multi-project wafers for hobbyists and startups
09:00 - Building engagement through online and in-person workshops
10:20 - Inside the IP library and sharing designs across community members
12:00 - Challenges in community-curated IP and multi-foundry coordination
14:00 - The shifting user base from hobbyists to academia to industry
15:30 - How open tools reduce barriers for private labs and startups
16:50 - Comparing chip design to PCB workflows and simplifying the process
18:10 - Verification, costs, and the role of open source tools in ASIC development
20:00 - Supply chain resilience through multiple foundries and partnerships
22:00 - Global workforce and supply chain trends affecting semiconductor industry
24:00 - The impact of geopolitical developments on chip manufacturing
26:00 - The true limits of Moore’s Law and the future of specialized chips
28:00 - Opportunities in AI, GPUs, and custom chip design for innovation
30:00 - The importance of workforce growth and community-driven IP creation
34:00 - Expanding access via multiple foundries and reduced costs
38:00 - The long-term vision: affordable, community-driven silicon infrastructure
