Comment by tucnak

24 days ago

I'm not OP, but perhaps you, or somebody else here, could answer my question, albeit one that is slightly off-topic. In the recent years, in part courtesy of cryptoindustry investment, there were many advancements in zero-knowledge mathematics and applied cryptography. I've been on-and-off researching computational approaches to liquid democracy[1], on the off-chance that we may one day apply it in my country, Ukraine, and I came to conclusion that open hardware-as-public good are table stakes to that end. The modern computers are way too complex, and the trust in them is at an all-time low. To bring computation into politics—it's a tall order. However, if we could buy a fab, design some hardware transparently, allow inspections from civil groups and scientists, maybe that could work... What kind of costs are we looking at for establishing something like 130nm process, and would it be possible to buy out the necessary IP, too, so that everything could be done in the open?

Does this even work longterm? I'd like to think transparent-by-design hardware manufacturing is not a pipe dream, but if that's the case, I would hate to give it too much thought.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquid_democracy

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tucnak

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caisley  24 days ago

Hey, I'm not a system-level digital designer, but for government-level initiatives to provide 130nm and 65nm fabs for public benefit, yes it exists!

From the 2025 Free Silicon Conference:

https://wiki.f-si.org/index.php?title=The_Transparent_Refere...

https://wiki.f-si.org/images/e/eb/OpenFab%40FSiC2025.pdf

The initiative started in Germany, where the research institute IHP already provides an open source 130nm PDK and associated foundry, but interest is spreading. Here's the abstract from that talk:

"The European Chips Act aims to double Europe’s share in global semiconductor manufacturing to 20% by 2030. However, most current investments focus on leading-edge nodes and pilot lines, which – while important – are not sufficient to achieve broad capacity scaling. At the same time, demand for mature nodes (≥65 nm) remains strong: over two-thirds of chips in automotive and industrial sectors still rely on nodes ≥90 nm, and this trend is expected to persist through 2030. This contribution introduces the concept of a Transparent Reference Fab – a fully open, scalable semiconductor fabrication model designed to serve as a blueprint for sovereign and trustworthy chip manufacturing in Europe. Unlike traditional pilot lines, the Transparent Reference Fab is production-ready and replicable. It includes open access to process design kits (PDKs), equipment configurations, process recipes, and operational know-how. The fab targets mature nodes, especially 65 nm CMOS, and is intended to be built on existing infrastructure to reduce time-to-market and technical risk. We argue that such a model can significantly multiply Europe’s production capacity by enabling private and public actors to replicate the reference fab across regions. This approach would not only strengthen Europe’s position in strategic semiconductor supply chains but also foster innovation, education, and security through transparency. The paper presents the strategic rationale, technical architecture, and implementation path, positioning the Transparent Reference Fab as a critical instrument for European resilience and competitiveness."

random_duck  24 days ago

This project exists, here it is: https://opentitan.org/