Avant!'s New HSPICE Supports Berkeley Public Domain BSIM3V3 Models; Meta-Labs Services Now offers Models for 0.12 Micron Technology.

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 12, 1996--Avant! Corporation, the leader in deep submicron ICDA technology (NASDAQ:AVNT), today announced that its Meta-Labs (Campbell, CA), a full service laboratory for semiconductor characterization and model creation for integrated circuit (IC) design, has extracted University of California at Berkeley BSIM3V3 device models with the company's new version of its HSPICE(TM) simulator, version 96.3.

The HSPICE 96.3 simulator supports BSIM3V3 models with proven I-V data for 0.12 micron CMOS technology with less than 3% error from silicon data. In addition, HSPICE 96.3 supports Meta-Labs' extracted 0.12 micron Level 28 transistor models with less than 1% error.

Evaluations of BSIM3V3 and Level 28 device models by Avant!'s Meta-Labs prove that HSPICE users and Meta-Labs' customers have access to highly accurate circuit simulation models and tools for their very deep submicron (VDSM) designs.

Vic Kulkarni, Vice-president of marketing for Avant!, noted, "The goal of Meta-Labs is to improve silicon characterization with the most accurate device models available to meet the challenges of deep submicron design. We worked with the SPICE Council and the University of California at Berkeley to improve and validate the performance of BSIM3V3 device models. The new version of HSPICE with improved support for BSIM3V3 and our Level 28 models provides our customers with highly accurate circuit simulation solutions and device models."

Kulkarni noted, "Our evaluations represent the first time any public domain device model, such as BSIM3V3, has been used in production with VDSM technology."

Professor Chenming Hu, a developer of the BSIM3V3 model and a member of the faculty of the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department at the University of California in Berkeley, CA, said, "We welcome Meta-Lab's support of the BSIM3V3 model. This should make the BSIM3 model more accessible and more attractive as a public-domain standard model to SPICE users."

New in HSPICE--Improved Model Accuracy

HSPICE has proprietary features that improve device model accuracy. These include:

-- geometric overlays for accurate modeling of various transistor channel lengths and widths, and

-- capacitance calculations that vary depending on geometric effects such as drain and source sharing.

According to Bob Lutze, Director of Meta-Labs, "Additional research and development by the Labs is going into developing new HSPICE features, like binning, which allows model generation across multiple geometries. We plan to support binning for BSIM3V3 in a future release of HSPICE."

Pricing and Availability:

HSPICE 96.3 is available now for several UNIX workstations, including Sun, HP, SGI, and DEC. The price starts at $22,000(US). BSIM3V3 and Level 28 device models are included.

Avant!'s Meta-Labs is located in Campbell, CA. For more information contact Avant! Corporation, 1300 White Oaks Road, Campbell, CA 95008, USA, [e-mail]; tel [phone]; fax [phone].

Avant! Corporation develops, markets, and supports integrated circuit design automation (ICDA) software for deep submicron ICs, microprocessors, microcontrollers, application-specific standard products (ASSPs) and complex application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). Avant! has a definitive agreement to merge with Frontline Design Automation. On October, 29, 1996 Avant! announced the completion of its merger with Meta-Software. Company headquarters for Avant! are in Sunnyvale, CA, telephone [phone]. Web site: www.avanticorp.com.

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, including without limitation statements relating to the business, prospects and results of operations of the company. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties including without limitation that the company will not successfully integrate products, technologies and personnel; that product overlap may occur; that litigation and other contingencies may adversely affect the company; and other risks and uncertainties indicated from time to time in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. -0-

NOTE TO EDITORS: BSIM3V3 graph showing accuracy are available on request. Meta-Labs and HSPICE are trademarks of Avant! Corporation.

Acronyms: ASIC: Application-specific IC ICDA: IC Design Automation ASSP: Application-specific standard products VDSM: Very Deep Submicron IC: Integrated Circuit

CONTACT: Avant!

Vic Kulkarni, 408/369-5400

or

Georgia Marszalek, PR Counsel, 415/345-7477

[e-mail]