Chip design and development is a crucial but complicated and potentially costly process. Electronics companies hoping to make the most of it should start by assessing their supply chains. Partnering with the best value turnkey chip development services in North America ensures you get the functionality, cost-effectiveness and speed you need.
As the semiconductor market has matured, manufacturers have a wide array of development partners to choose from. Here’s a rundown of the five best in North America to help narrow it down.
1. ASIC North
Williston, Vermont-based ASIC North is the overall best value turnkey chip development service in North America. The company has experience in sectors ranging from defense to consumer electronics to agriculture and offers unmatched flexibility.
In addition to designing your analog, digital or mixed-signal chip, ASIC North will help find the optimal fab, assembly and test suppliers for your unique needs. Such variety across supply chain partners, technologies and services means it’s easier to develop a system-on-a-chip (SOC) for your specific use case.
ASIC North also provides free quotes and a “first-time right” commitment to boost transparency and ensure product reliability. Experience with both small businesses and large corporations shows they’re an ideal partner for organizations of any size, too.
2. Intel Foundry
A recognizable name for many is Intel. As one of the largest semiconductor manufacturers in the U.S., Intel’s turnkey development service Intel Foundry deserves attention as a potential partner.
The chip giant operates 15 labs across 10 locations, offering supply chain flexibility few alternatives can match. Intel also provides support throughout the entire design, production and delivery life span, which is ideal if you lack experience in the industry. Like ASIC North, it also has a large body of vendors, offering additional choices to meet your needs.
Intel Foundry is perhaps best suited for artificial intelligence (AI) applications. Its advanced technologies and focus in the area lend its services to these high-end, cutting-edge systems, though not every business needs such functionality.
3. Texas Instruments
Texas Instruments is another one of the best turnkey chip development services in North America. It’s one of the longest-standing manufacturers in this space today, giving it extensive experience.
While TI may be most well-known for its ready-made products, it offers a range of custom design solutions, too. That includes bespoke die and wafer manufacturing and development tools you can use to design and refine SOCs and similar components on your own. A library of educational content further aids these early stages for those with less expertise in SOC development.
Texas Instruments’s sheer size lends it versatility and cost competitiveness. Still, its turnkey solutions may not go as far as some alternatives, and it may be better as a vendor of existing parts, depending on your needs and goals.
4. Krypton Solutions
Another Texas-based chip development partner to consider is Krypton Solutions. Krypton is a newer entry into the semiconductor space, but it has quickly gained prominence for its prototyping and low-to-medium-volume manufacturing services.
As a true turnkey manufacturing partner, Krypton provides support from the concept phase all the way through release. It also has a strong focus on competitiveness, emphasizing each product’s unique selling points, quick time-to-market, risk management and cost optimization. While it may lack the capacity of some larger facilities, this commitment is hard to pass up if you’re trying to make a splash in a crowded sector.
Despite its small size, Krypton has impressive testing capabilities and serves a broad variety of end uses and sectors. It may not be the perfect fit for large-scale production, but it’s excellent for lower-volume or prototyping applications.
5. Ambiq
Another relative newcomer that’s become one of the best value turnkey chip development services in North America is Ambiq. The Austin, Texas-based company focuses on Internet of Things (IoT) devices, wearables and AI, all using extreme-low-power components.
Ambiq’s energy-efficient SOCs have appeared in many leading smartwatches and fitness trackers, but their potential goes far beyond such gadgets. Its turnkey IoT chip solutions are also a good fit for industrial automation, gaming and medical products, thanks to their high functionality but minimal footprint. In addition to its custom services, Ambiq also boasts an impressive slate of ready-made products.
Depending on the scale of your projects, you may need a larger or more widely connected supply chain partner. However, if your devices fall within Ambiq’s target niches, its functionality and reliability are hard to overlook.
What to Look for in a Turnkey Chip Development Service
All five of these services are worth consideration, but which is the best turnkey chip developer depends on a few case-specific factors. Your budget is among the most critical of these. Semiconductor costs have steadily grown, rising by 4% in 2022, followed by 0.6% price hikes in 2023. Consequently, finding a partner that can meet your financial needs is essential to remaining competitive.
Similarly, flexibility is another key differentiator to look for. A design and development service that can offer a wider variety of suppliers, testing types, and locations will be less likely to incur disruptions and delays. Variety in components and end uses is also important, as the more adaptable a design is, the more you can ensure the product fits your needs.
Extensive support is helpful, too, especially if you lack experience in SOC development. Technology skills gaps are growing, so if you want to put out a reliable, high-functioning device in minimal time, you’ll need partners who can help you across the product life cycle.
Transparency is easier to overlook but similarly crucial. You should know where each component comes from, what pricing and delivery schedules will look like, how shipping is progressing and how suppliers plan to meet your standards. A lack of such visibility may result in unforeseen disruptions or security and compliance issues.
The Right Development Partner Makes All the Difference
Building a well-performing and profitable electronic product starts with leading chip design and production. The only way to ensure that is to partner with the best chip development services you can find.
Teaming up with a provider in North America mitigates many supply chain concerns, but you should go further in choosing a service. Start by outlining your needs and goals, and then begin your search with this list to make the most of your semiconductor development.
Lynn Martelli is an editor at Readability. She received her MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University and has worked as an editor for over 10 years. Lynn has edited a wide variety of books, including fiction, non-fiction, memoirs, and more. In her free time, Lynn enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with her family and friends.
