ASML Masktools Partners With Transcription Enterprises to Provide Total Mask Manufacturing Solution.SANTA CLARA Santa Clara, city, Cuba Santa Clara (sän`tä klä`rä), city (1994 est. pop. 217,000), capital of Villa Clara prov., central Cuba. , Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 8, 1999-- Agreement Pairs Experts in Optical Extension and Chip Data Handling Technologies ASML ASML Abstract State Machine Language ASML Anisotropic Shielded Microstrip Line MaskTools, Inc. (MaskTools) today announced that it will partner with Transcription Enterprises to integrate its market-leading optical proximity correction Optical proximity correction (OPC) is a photolithography enhancement technique commonly used to compensate for image errors due to diffraction or process effects. The two most common applications for OPC are linewidth differences between features in regions of different density (e. (OPC (1) (OpenGL Performance Characterization) A project group within GPC that manages OpenGL benchmarks. OPC endorses the Viewperf and GLperf benchmarks. Viewperf was created by IBM and OPC provides viewsets for it, which are combinations of tests using specific ) software, MaskRigger, with Transcription Enterprises' Computer Aided Transcription Software (CATS(TM)). Under the agreement, MaskRigger will be offered as an upgrade to CATS, the leading software for semiconductor data analysis, fracturing and preparation for mask manufacturing. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp. (TSMC TSMC Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd TSMC Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation TSMC Traffic Systems Management Center TSMC Toll Station Management Controller TSMC Transportation Supply Maintenance Command TSMC Technical Services Manager Code ), the world's largest semiconductor foundry, recently licensed MaskRigger for 0.18-micron production (see MaskTools' press announcement, March 9, 1999). This activity, which required MaskRigger to successfully process over 100 chip designs, brought MaskTools and Transcription Enterprises together to develop the seamless integration An addition of a new application, routine or device that works smoothly with the existing system. It implies that the new feature or program can be installed and used without problems. Contrast with "transparent," which implies that there is no discernible change after installation. required by TSMC's high-volume mask making operations. "As a technology leader in e-beam mask making, TSMC is encouraged by the cooperation between MaskTools and Transcription Enterprises. Our hope is that this partnership helps provide a more efficient, integrated OPC technology. "TSMC's mask making operations are one of the most highly automated operations in the world; therefore we are pleased with the efforts of MaskTools and Transcription to bring this productivity enhancing solution to the market. This enables TSMC to provide our customers with more advanced process technologies, and maintain our industry-leading IC fab cycle times," said Dr. C was a fictional scientist from the TV series Cro. She and her companion, Mike, went to the Arctic and thawed out a mammoth, who could talk. That mammoth now tells stories of life in the stone age with his friend, Cro, and his fellow mammoths. .S. Yoo, director of TSMC E-Beam Operations. Part of MaskTools Optical Extension Solutions, MaskRigger is a batch-mode geometry processor that performs optical proximity correction (OPC) utilizing a patented, proprietary technique involving the application of assist features commonly referred to as 'scattering bars.' CATS is an advanced, full-featured mask manufacturing, inspection and direct-write-on-wafer data preparation software. The combination of the two technologies provides a complete and powerful solution for semiconductor manufacturers designing masks with sub-wavelength linewidths. Initial experiments run on customer data have indicated an 18X improvement in MaskRigger performance in a CATS-integrated version versus stand-alone processing. CATS software is implemented in the chip design flow as the final step in the chip design automation process, where the design data undergoes conversion from the industry standard design format (GDSII GDSII Graphic Design System II ), used by chip design houses, to the mask writing and inspection formats used to fabricate masks in the mask houses. This data conversion step is critical to ensure mask and wafer manufacturability, because it is the step where critical data necessary to comply with equipment manufacturers' (e.g., mask write tool, mask inspection tool, and wafer stepper step·per n. 1. One that steps, especially in a fast or spirited manner. 2. Informal A dancer. Noun 1. ) specifications is added. This step is also critical in optical proximity correction technology because OPC can increase chip design data volume by as much as tenfold tenfold Adjective 1. having ten times as many or as much 2. composed of ten parts Adverb by ten times as many or as much Adj. 1. . Automated handling of this increased data volume is essential for production implementation of full-chip OPC. "The combination of MaskTools' MaskRigger product with Transcription Enterprises' market-leading CATS software enables the practical application of optical extension technology at the most cost-efficient point in the data preparation process," said Roger Caldwell, vice president and chief operating officer Chief Operating Officer (COO) The officer of a firm responsible for day-to-day management, usually the president or an executive vice-president. at MaskTools. "And we expect to see much greater use of this OPC technology in volume IC production." MaskTools' MaskRigger has established itself as the market leader for OPC software, which is growing rapidly as lithography lithography (lĭthŏg`rəfē), type of planographic or surface printing. It is distinguished from letterpress (relief) printing and from intaglio printing (in which the design is cut or etched into the plate). manufacturing requires printing of mask features that are smaller than the wavelength of light. The CATS upgrade including MaskRigger will be seamlessly compatible with all of Transcription Enterprises' customers' existing operations, making implementation easy. It will also directly use existing MaskRigger run files so that the implementation of the integrated product is immediate. Customers can purchase the upgrade from either company. "The interest in MaskRigger from our customer base is what led us into this relationship between Transcription and MaskTools, which we believe will be very productive and beneficial to the semiconductor industry," commented Roger Sturgeon sturgeon, primitive fish of the northern regions of Europe, Asia, and North America. Unlike evolutionarily advanced fishes, it has a fine-grained hide, with very reduced scalation, a mostly cartilaginous skeleton, upturned tail fins, and a mouth set well back on the , president of Transcription Enterprises. "With CATS' advanced fracturing techniques including hierarchical processing and multi-threaded fracturing, we believe the integrated CATS/MaskRigger solution will offer substantial performance improvement over the stand-alone OPC tool." MaskTools and Transcription Enterprises expect the integration of MaskRigger and CATS to be complete by the middle of the summer and should be available in a production release of CATS (version 18) this fall. Transcription Enterprises' CATS customers need only purchase a license key for access to the total solution. MaskTools will continue to offer its MaskRigger product as well as the integrated CATS upgrade. About Transcription Enterprises Transcription Enterprises, Ltd., is a privately held software development company based in Los Gatos Los Gatos (lôs gä`tōs, lŏs, găt`əs), city (1990 pop. 27,357), Santa Clara co., W Calif.; inc. 1887. It is an affluent residential community and health resort. , Calif. The company has been in the business of providing full-featured semiconductor data preparation and analysis software to the industry for 13 years. CATS, the company's only product, has become the industry standard and is in use in virtually every major semiconductor design group and photomask An opaque image on a translucent plate that is used as a light filter to transfer an image from one device to another. See chip. manufacturing facility in the world. For more information on CATS and Transcription, contact the company at: tel: 408/866-1851; fax: 408/866-4839; email: support@te-cats.com; web: www.te-cats.com. About ASML MaskTools ASML MaskTools, Inc. is a newly formed ASML company based in Santa Clara, Calif. The company is focused on providing an array of optical extension technologies to enhance photolithography process latitude, thereby improving IC yields in manufacturing. Optical extension technologies are becoming essential as optical lithography is continuing to be used for volume IC manufacturing below the wavelength of the exposure light source. For more information on MaskTools' products and services, contact the company by calling 408/855-0500 or visit their website at www.MaskTools.com. MaskTools and MaskRigger are trademarks of ASML. "Safe Harbor Safe Harbor 1. A legal provision to reduce or eliminate liability as long as good faith is demonstrated. 2. A form of shark repellent implemented by a target company acquiring a business that is so poorly regulated that the target itself is less attractive. " Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA) implemented several significant substantive changes affecting certain cases brought under the federal securities laws, including changes related to pleading, discovery, liability, class representation and awards fees and of 1995: Except for historical information, the matters discussed in this news release that may be considered forward-looking statements may be subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those projected, including uncertainties in the market, pricing competition, procurement and manufacturing efficiencies, and other risks detailed from time to time in reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company assumes no obligation to update the information in this release. |
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