Die imagery only
High-resolution layer-by-layer imagery with no schematic recovery. Cost here is driven mainly by area and layer count.
Pricing
A small die can cost more than a large one
The most common question is "what does this part cost", and the most common assumption is that price follows die area. In reality only one of the three cost components scales with area. The other two do not.
Three things drive the cost
Each has its own driver. Total cost is the sum of all three.
-
Rises with area Die imaging
Driven by Die area
This one does scale with area. A larger die means more fields of view to capture and more stitching work.
-
Area predicts nothing Delayering
Driven by Process node, metal composition and layer count
Independent of area. Advanced nodes, unusual metal chemistry or high layer counts each require re-tuning chemistry and parameters layer by layer.
-
Area predicts nothing Circuit analysis
Driven by Circuit complexity
Independent of area. A densely laid out analog IC can carry far more devices and connectivity than a physically larger digital part.
What sets the cost is not how big it is. It is how hard it is.
Which is why every project is evaluated first
We do not publish a price list. The variation in engineering effort between chips is too large for an unevaluated figure to serve either as your budget or as our schedule.
- Two dies of identical area can differ several-fold in delayering time if their process nodes are two generations apart.
- Two dies on the same process can differ by an order of magnitude in analysis effort if one is a power management IC and the other is dense analog.
- Scope is a variable too. Analysing one critical block versus the full die does not scale proportionally.
- Evaluating first is what makes the number meaningful — and what lets us commit to a real completion date.
The evaluation report removes the uncertainty at minimal cost
Estimating cost is precisely what it exists for.
We need at least one sample. The evaluation report gives you die size, process node, metal and poly layer counts, and a top-layer photograph.
With the top-layer photograph in hand you can mark the region you want analysed, and we quote against exactly that. It is the least ambiguous way to agree scope.
The evaluation report is not engineering-verified and carries some margin of error, but it is sufficient to judge scale and feasibility.
If you go on to order the full circuit analysis report, the evaluation fee is deducted from its price.
One analysis, two prices
One difference only: whether the report is ever supplied to anyone else. Who is reading it stays confidential either way.
| Model | Price | Afterwards | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-Exclusive (default) | 1/3 | CPS may list and sell the report to other customers | you want the technology and a shorter development cycle, and do not mind the analysis being supplied to others later |
| Exclusive | 3× | Never resold; held only by the commissioning party | beyond the technology itself, you need certainty that competitors cannot obtain the same analysis |
About four in ten commissions choose Exclusive.
Where we draw the line
Whichever you choose, we never disclose who is reading a report — who commissioned the work, which chip they asked about, or when. This is not a paid upgrade; it is a line we have not crossed in eighteen years.
It does not have to be the whole die
Partial scopes are equally welcome, and cost follows scope.
Annotation only
Devices and connectivity annotated, without assembling hierarchical schematics. Suited to teams whose own engineers will interpret the result.
One critical block
Circle the region on the top-layer photograph and we analyse only that. Most first-time customers start here.
Common questions
- Can you give a rough price range up front?
- We would rather not. Any number given before seeing the die is either too low or too high, and both cause problems later. The evaluation report costs little and is credited against the full analysis — it is the fastest route to an accurate figure.
- How long does it take?
- Lead time depends on the same factors: process difficulty, scope and circuit complexity. Once we have your purchase order or signed LOA, we confirm an exact completion date along with the deliverables list.
- How many samples do you need?
- At least one for evaluation. The quantity required for the analysis itself depends on process difficulty and scope, and is confirmed with the evaluation.
- Does the price include simulation?
- No. We deliver schematics compatible with Cadence Composer, which you can convert to a netlist and simulate yourself, but simulation is outside the scope of this service.
Send us the part number
Or ship us a sample. After evaluation you get an accurate cost and schedule instead of a guess.