Activities for Open-Source Integrated Circuits Design in Japan

This paper discusses open-source IC design. By open-source PDKs and EDA tools, IC design is experiencing big change. Conventionally, barrier to entry IC design is quite high. Open-source PDKs and EDA tools democratize IC design to all people. Many benefits are expected in research, industry, education, and so on. However, open-source IC communities are still not mature. This paper explains Japanese communities and activities for open-source IC design. In Japan, we emphasize participation of non-expert people. Some knowledge through challenging tape-out of custom analog IC is introduced.