Tata’s Dholera plant to help startups build prototype chips

After the state-owned Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL) in Mohali, Tata Electronics’ upcoming semiconductor plant in Dholera will provide fabrication support to chip startups for design tape-outs, Union electronics and information technology minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Tuesday.

- Jatin Grover [e-mail]

Tape-out is when a chip's final design is sent to a fab.

(AFP)

‘Tape-out is the stage when a chip’s final design is sent to a semiconductor fabrication facility (fab), which then prepares it and produces the first physical prototype chips for testing.

This step is crucial, as many Indian startups have to currently rely on overseas facilities such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) and US-based GlobalFoundries to get even limited samples of chips before actual production can start.