Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CDNS)
Engineering IC Packages for System-Level Performance

Cadence Design Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CDNS) addresses these requirements through a portfolio that connects IC package implementation with co-design, signal and power integrity analysis and system-level verification.

Its IC package design and analysis portfolio includes Allegro X Advanced Package Designer, Sigrity technologies, Clarity 3D Solver and the Integrity 3D-IC Platform, creating workflows that span package layout, analysis and advanced multi-die systems.

The strategy treats the package as part of the complete design rather than as an isolated implementation stage. Cadence supports single- and multi-die wire-bond and flip-chip designs, advanced substrate layouts, chip-package co-design and multi-chiplet systems. Analysis capabilities extend into signal integrity, power integrity, electromagnetic behavior and thermal performance, giving design teams access to multiple forms of feedback during development.

Connecting Package Layout with Upstream Design

Package implementation begins with physical and electrical constraints that can affect the finished system. Cadence’s Allegro X Advanced Package Designer provides constraint-driven technology for complex package designs, supporting substrate layout and implementation across single-die and multi-die architectures. The platform supports wire-bond and flip-chip configurations alongside manufacturing-aware design requirements.

The design environment supports activities from module definition and component placement through netlist development, routing, documentation and manufacturing output. A recent Cadence training flow demonstrates package development around a BGA containing flip-chip and wire-bonded stacked dies alongside discrete components, reflecting the range of structures that package designers must accommodate within one implementation environment.

Cadence also connects package implementation to upstream and downstream design domains. Its portfolio provides cross-platform co-design and analysis with Cadence Virtuoso and Innovus flows, creating links between chip, package and board environments. The resulting system-aware workflow allows designers to account for package decisions as part of broader electronic system development.

Embedding SI and PI Analysis into Package Design

Complex packages can create electrical problems that are difficult to resolve late in development. Cadence integrates signal and power integrity analysis into package design workflows so teams can examine electrical behavior before a design reaches final verification. Sigrity X Aurora IC Package Analysis supports pre-layout, in-design and post-layout SI and PI analysis within the Allegro X APD environment.

The in-design workflow enables designers to explore alternatives before committing to a finished layout. High-speed signals can be evaluated pre-layout, different structures can be compared through what-if scenarios, and post-layout analysis can examine the associated signals in greater detail. Earlier feedback gives package designers a mechanism for adjusting constraints before problems require additional design iterations.

Cadence has also positioned in-design analysis as a way to address the growing complexity associated with heterogeneous integration. Its package design materials describe a workflow that shifts SI and PI analysis earlier in the development cycle rather than waiting for completed layouts to reach specialist teams. Such integration can help identify electrical issues before they become costly redesign problems.

The analysis portfolio extends beyond conventional SI and PI calculations. Sigrity technologies support signal and power integrity analysis, Clarity 3D Solver addresses three-dimensional electromagnetic simulation, and Celsius Thermal Solver provides thermal analysis. Together, these capabilities allow package behavior to be examined across multiple physical domains rather than through electrical analysis alone.

High-speed package structures require detailed electromagnetic analysis as interconnect geometry can influence system behavior. Cadence Clarity 3D Solver provides three-dimensional electromagnetic simulation for IC packages, PCBs and systems on IC, supporting the analysis of complex interconnect structures. Its distributed multiprocessing technology is designed to address large electromagnetic problems with the capacity required by high-frequency systems.

Sigrity adds specialized signal and power integrity capabilities to the same broader analysis environment. The technology supports interconnect modeling and power delivery analysis for PCB and IC package designs, giving engineers tools to examine the interaction between package structures and electrical performance.

Thermal behavior represents another consideration in densely integrated packages. Cadence’s 3D-IC analysis environment combines Celsius Thermal Solver with other multiphysics technologies to examine thermal, electrical and mechanical performance. The workflow allows designers to identify potential reliability issues earlier in development and evaluate the effects of package structures on the completed system.

Cadence has demonstrated how these technologies can work together in advanced package analysis. A Samsung Foundry-certified flow combined Allegro Package Designer Plus with Celsius Thermal Solver, Clarity 3D Solver, Voltus IC Power Integrity Solution and Sigrity to evaluate electrical and thermal requirements for 2.5D and 3D designs. The documented flow included analysis of SerDes connections across a silicon interposer.

Designing for Multi-Die and Chiplet Architectures

Advanced packaging increasingly involves more than placing a single die on a substrate. Multi-die systems require coordination across chiplets, interposers, packages and boards, creating dependencies between physical implementation and system-level performance. Cadence addresses these requirements through its Multi-Die 3D-IC Solution and Integrity 3D-IC Platform.

The Multi-Die 3D-IC Solution brings together system planning, implementation and analysis for stacked-die and chiplet-driven architectures. Its capabilities cover 3D system-level planning, 3D implementation, package implementation, 3D analysis and signoff and die-to-die IP solutions. The platform also supports cross-domain design involving custom analog, IC and board environments.

Integrity 3D-IC serves as the foundation for system-level planning and implementation across 2.5D and 3D packaging styles. Cadence positions the platform around the coordination of multi-die systems, with capabilities extending from planning and implementation into routing and advanced multiphysics analysis. Automated package-level routing also forms part of the broader flow through Cadence’s substrate routing technologies.

Die-to-die connectivity introduces another layer of design consideration. Cadence’s multi-die environment supports chiplet integration alongside analysis of power, signal integrity, electromagnetic interference, thermal behavior and mechanical effects. Early system-level analysis can provide feedback on power, performance and area before individual chiplets become over-optimized for requirements that may change at the complete-system level.

Taking Advanced Packages through Signoff

Cadence extends package development into verification and signoff rather than stopping at physical implementation. Its 3D-IC solution incorporates analysis capabilities for interposer and package structures, including parasitic extraction, signal and power integrity, thermal behavior and electromagnetic simulation. Designers can evaluate package effects on system performance before completing final verification.

The broader signoff environment connects several specialized technologies. Voltus addresses power integrity, Quantus provides parasitic extraction, and Pegasus supports physical verification. Clarity handles three-dimensional electromagnetic analysis, Sigrity addresses signal and power integrity, and Celsius provides thermal simulation. Each technology contributes a different analytical perspective to the package and system design flow.

Fan-out wafer-level packaging also forms part of Cadence’s portfolio. Its FOWLP flow combines design and verification capabilities intended to shorten development cycles and support increased system bandwidth and reduced power consumption. The portfolio, therefore, covers multiple packaging approaches rather than concentrating exclusively on traditional substrate-based package implementation.

The broader design environment gives Cadence a way to connect package implementation with the analysis needed to validate advanced architectures. Package layout, electrical behavior, thermal performance and system connectivity can be considered through related workflows rather than handled as disconnected engineering tasks. Its recognition as the Top IC Package Design and Analysis Solutions 2026 reflects that integrated capability across the package development process.