EDA (Electronic Design Automation) is the abbreviation of electronic design automation, which refers to the automation tools and methods for design, verification, analysis and manufacturing in the field of electronic design through computer technology. EDA plays a vital role in the design, manufacturing, and testing of chips. However, due to the relatively late development of domestic EDA, the global EDA market has been monopolized by American giants, and China's market share is low, accounting for less than 10% of the market. However, in recent years, domestic EDA has made great progress, and gradually narrowed the gap with foreign competitors.
The development of domestic EDA faces two major bottlenecks: first, the process coverage is not comprehensive enough, and many domestic EDAs only involve part of the chip design, which cannot achieve full process coverage;In addition, some domestic EDAs have limited capabilities in supporting advanced processes, mainly supporting 28nm processes in the past, and even 14nm processes are not supported by many processes. In addition, foreign EDA manufacturers have also set foot in the field of IP (intellectualproperty), providing various IP cores for chip manufacturers to use, reducing the design threshold and improving design efficiency. As a result of these factors, domestic EDA can only be in the catch-up stage, but cannot occupy a dominant position in the market.
However, domestic EDA has made great strides in recent years. According to 2022 data, the domestically produced Empyrean already ranks fourth in the world, with a market share of about 6%. In addition, the combined market share of all domestically produced EDAs reached 10%, doubling the market share from 5% in 2018. In addition, domestic EDA has also made a major breakthrough in technology. In the 14nm process stage, domestic EDA has basically achieved full process coverage, no longer relying on foreign EDA products, and can complete all design and verification work. What's even more exciting is that several major domestic manufacturers have not only achieved the 14nm process in many links and processes, but also made breakthroughs in the more advanced 3nm process. For example, Empyrean said that its products cover digital, analog, mixed-signal and RF fields, and can support from 0Various process nodes from 35um to 3nm. Primarius also develops products that support advanced process nodes, including 7nm, 5nm and 3nm. Hongxin Micro-Nano has achieved the 5nm process last year and successfully developed the 3nm process. These breakthroughs mark an important milestone in China's chip design and prove that domestic EDAs are ready.
Although domestic EDA has made a breakthrough in technology, it still faces challenges and pressures to truly achieve industry leadership. First of all, domestic EDA needs to form a larger gap with foreign giants in terms of process coverage and technical capabilities, and apply it to a wider range of fields. Secondly, domestic EDA needs to strengthen cooperation and communication with chip design companies and manufacturing enterprises to jointly promote the development of the entire industry. In addition, domestic EDA also needs to pay attention to intellectual property protection, strengthen independent research and development capabilities, and improve product quality and technical level.
In short, domestic chips have made great progress in terms of technical strength and market share, and domestic EDA, as an important tool to support chip design, is catching up. Through continuous innovation and breakthroughs, domestic EDA has achieved full-process coverage on the 14nm process and made a major breakthrough in the more advanced 3nm process. However, in order to truly achieve the leading position in the chip industry, it is also necessary to strengthen cooperation with chip design enterprises and manufacturing enterprises to jointly promote the prosperity and development of the industry. It is believed that with the continuous development and growth of domestic EDA, China Chip will usher in a brighter future.