Artisan Components Announces Free Availability Of Flex-Repair Memories; Version for TSMC 0.13-Micron Generic Process Offered as Part of Free Library Program.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 4, 2001

Artisan Components, Inc., (Nasdaq:ARTI), a leading provider of semiconductor intellectual property (IP), today announced the immediate availability of its Flex-Repair(TM) Memories. Artisan's memories with redundancy offer a flexible solution that minimizes die area while providing effective redundancy and repair for common manufacturing defects. Artisan's Flex-Repair solution is incorporated into Artisan's standard memory generators as an optional feature in the user interface. With this approach, users can simply select the redundancy option for specific memory instances, eliminating the need to maintain a separate generator for redundancy.

Additionally, Artisan's flexible implementation supports a variety of Built in Self-Test (BIST) methodologies, which allows customers to leverage their BIST investments. Artisan is offering a version of its Flex Repair Memories for TSMC 0.13-micron generic process as part of Artisan's free library program, making the solution immediately available to over 800 Artisan customers to download from Artisan's web site.

"The release of our Flex-Repair memory products demonstrates Artisan's commitment to providing customers with the most cost-effective solution for today's complex SoC designs implementing large embedded memories," said Neal Carney, vice president of marketing at Artisan Components. "Artisan's memory generators have been used in thousands of tape outs to date and the redundancy feature will enhance their utility as the size of embedded memories increases."

Artisan's Flex-Repair Solution

Working with industry-leading manufacturers and customers, Artisan has developed an optimal redundancy solution that ensures an easy-to-use, reliable and cost-efficient implementation. Artisan's Flex-Repair Memories include of the following components:

-- Artisan's Industry Standard Memory Generator -- enhanced with the redundancy
option. Users can select, through the GUI, whether to generate instances with
or without redundancy. The memory generator creates the RTL for the redundancy
implementation (muxes and other circuitry required to replace the faulty bit
with the redundant bit into the memory array.) An advanced option allows the
designer to select either a three-state or standard mux configuration.

-- Fuse Box Generator -- for users implementing the laser repair approach.
Artisan's fuse box, used to store the faulty bit location, consumes zero static
power thus ensuring low-power consumption for applications that require minimal
power.

-- User Manuals -- the Flex-Repair Memory Generator Manual includes the
following: steps for implementing Artisan's memory redundancy solution;
information on how to optimize users' solution for their application and
requirements for BIST and the manufacturing repair flow. The Fuse-Box Generator
Manual describes implementation of Artisan's fuse-box. Both manuals include
application notes.

Product Availability

Artisan's Flex-Repair Memories for TSMC's 0.13G-micron generic process is available immediately at no charge to design teams with up-to-date Artisan end-user license agreements and can be downloaded by visiting Artisan's web site at www.artisan.com. For more information about Flex-Repair Memories or to enroll in Artisan's free library program, contact an Artisan customer service representative at 1.877.ARTILIB or e-mail Artisan at [e-mail]. For information about other process versions of Flex-Repair Memories, contact Artisan Sales at 408.734-5600 for pricing and availability.

About Artisan Components

Artisan Components, Inc., (Nasdaq:ARTI), is a world leader in intellectual property (IP) components, providing high-quality solutions for many of the world's leading semiconductor foundries, integrated device manufacturers, ASIC vendors and IC design teams. Founded in 1991, Artisan's Process-Perfect(TM) memory generators, standard cell and I/O cell libraries are optimized to achieve the full-speed, density and power potential of each semiconductor process and are delivered as full solutions, ready to use with industry-standard design environments. Artisan's headquarters are located at 141 Caspian Court, Sunnyvale, CA 94089-1201. World Wide Web address: http://www.artisan.com.

Note to Editors: ArtisanComponents is a registered trademark and Artisan and Flex-Repair are trademarks of Artisan Components, Inc. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.