NVIDIA published a report on November 3, 2026, detailing how artificial intelligence and accelerated computing are transforming semiconductor manufacturing. The technologies help engineers optimize processes and reduce simulation times.
Accelerating Semiconductor Simulations
According to NVIDIA, demand for advanced chips is rising while the processes to build them grow more complex and margins for error shrink. Physical experiments on a fab line are slow and expensive, but accelerated computing shortens simulation time to let engineers evaluate alternatives. Using the NVIDIA cuDSS library, COMSOL accelerates multiphysics simulations for semiconductor manufacturing by up to 10x.
Applied Materials and NVIDIA are collaborating to accelerate atomic-scale materials discovery. Applied's Ginestra simulation platform runs up to 10x faster with cuDSS, and its ACE+ platform delivers topography simulations up to 35x faster using NVIDIA PhysicsNeMo. Additionally, Siemens is integrating NVIDIA cuLitho into its Calibre software to deliver up to 17x acceleration on computational lithography workloads.
Predicting Behavior and Managing Factory Steps
Physics-based AI helps engineers predict process behavior without running full simulations every time. Lam Research demonstrated that the NVIDIA PhysicsNeMo framework can predict plasma behavior in milliseconds, compared with days for a full simulation. Furthermore, Advantest uses NVIDIA NeMo Switchyard AI agents to automate the selection of AI models, reducing response times from hours to minutes.
Applied Materials uses NVIDIA Omniverse libraries to build physically accurate digital twins of entire fabs. These digital twins allow teams to simulate material movement, identify bottlenecks, and evaluate layouts before physical deployment. Together, these tools form what NVIDIA describes as an AI-defined fab.
Key facts and where they come from
- COMSOL accelerates multiphysics simulations for semiconductor manufacturing by up to 10x using the NVIDIA cuDSS library.
Using the NVIDIA cuDSS library, multiphysics software provider COMSOL is accelerating such simulations for semiconductor manufacturing by up to 10x.
- Applied Materials' ACE+ multiphysics platform delivers topography simulations up to 35x faster with NVIDIA PhysicsNeMo.
with NVIDIA PhysicsNeMo, Applied’s ACE+ multiphysics platform delivers topography simulations up to 35x faster.
- Lam Research demonstrated that NVIDIA PhysicsNeMo can predict plasma behavior in milliseconds compared with days for a full simulation.
Lam Research demonstrated that the NVIDIA PhysicsNeMo framework can predict plasma behavior in milliseconds, compared with days for a full simulation
- Advantest uses NVIDIA NeMo Switchyard AI agents to reduce response times from hours to minutes.
Advantest is using NVIDIA NeMo Switchyard AI agents to automate that selection, reducing response times from hours to minutes.
