Case Study: EnSilica achieves precise Ka-band transceiver thermal margins and 10‑year reliability predictions with Keysight PathWave ADS Electro‑Thermal Simulator

Predicting Ka-band Transceiver Thermal Margins, Wear, and Lifespan

EnSilica, a UK-based fabless ASIC and IC design services company, faced the challenge of predicting Ka-band transceiver thermal margins and long-term wear in harsh automotive environments where physical testing was slow and estimates lacked confidence. To close that gap they integrated Keysight tools—notably PathWave ADS, PathWave RFPro and the PathWave ADS Electro‑Thermal Simulator—into their existing RF EDA workflow to bring electro‑thermal analysis into the virtual design loop.

Using Keysight’s electro‑thermal simulation tied to layout and 3D EM data, EnSilica matched simulated to measured die temperatures within 0.7°C (13°C predicted vs. 12.3°C measured), identified hotspot and bumping effects that led to layout/bump changes, and produced a high‑confidence 10‑year reliability prediction (aged PA power loss ≈ −0.4 dB). The Keysight-enabled flow reduced reliance on lengthy lab setups, shortened design cycles, improved thermal margins, and let EnSilica safely push device performance while meeting reliability goals.

EnSilica

Alan Wong

Sr. VP of Engineering