Scoping out the chiplet-based design flow

By Kenneth Lu

March 19, 2026

Today, the design of most monolithic SoCs follows a familiar pattern. Requirements definition leads to an architectural design. Then, the design team selects and qualifies the necessary IP blocks, assembles them into the architecture, and floorplans the die. Functional verification and early power and timing estimation can begin at this point.

The team can now begin RTL synthesis, rough placement, and at least preliminary routing. As these tasks finish, most SoC design teams will bring in physical-design specialists to complete the work until signoff.

But what about a multi-die design based on chiplets? At first glance, the sequence of tasks seems nearly identical to the one for a monolithic SoC. Just substitute chiplets for IP blocks and interposer design for physical chip design, right?

Well, no. Issues and corresponding tasks in chiplet-based design diverge significantly from the flow of most monolithic chip designs. Unless you intend to build a great deal of specialized multi-die expertise in-house, these issues make it vitally important to engage, from the beginning of the project, with a design partner experienced in both chiplets and interposer design and one with deep relationships across the multi-die, global supply chain.

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