Semiconductor Reticle Amortization Calculator
Amortize advanced mask sets over your planned wafer starts to understand marginal lithography cost. Enter the reticle build cost and expected wafer starts, then optionally adjust die count and yield to see the effective cost per wafer and per functional die.
For budgeting guidance only—validate assumptions with your mask shop and yield engineering teams before making pricing decisions.
Examples
- $450,000 reticle, 12,000 wafer starts, 97% yield, 520 dies ⇒ Cost per wafer: $37.50 USD • Functional die yield applied: 97.00% • Cost per good die: $0.07 USD • Total good dies expected: 6,052,800
- $320,000 reticle, 8,500 starts, optional fields blank ⇒ Cost per wafer: $37.65 USD • Functional die yield applied: 97.00% • Cost per good die: $0.07 USD • Total good dies expected: 4,122,500
FAQ
How should I treat multi-layer reticle sets?
Use the combined cost for the full mask set. If layers are shared across products, apportion the spend by the share of wafers each product consumes.
Can I model ramp-up scrap?
Lower the yield percentage to reflect learning curve losses, or reduce the planned wafer starts to the quantity expected before a reticle respin.
What if some wafers are dedicated to qualification only?
Include qualification wafers in the start count so the amortized cost captures all usage before the next mask revision.
Does this cover multi-die reticles?
Yes. Update the dies-per-wafer input to reflect the blended die mix or run separate scenarios for each product taped onto the reticle.
Additional Information
- Wafer cost divides the reticle spend by total starts, offering a quick checkpoint for lithography cost of goods sold.
- Optional die count and yield translate mask cost into per-die economics so product managers can benchmark against ASPs.
- Reticle revisions reset the wafer count—rerun the model whenever design updates or defectivity limits shorten mask life.