Extreme DA and UMC Collaborate to Provide Sub 90-Nanometer Variaton-Aware IC Design Flows for Advanced Systems-on-Chips.

PALO ALTO, Calif. & HSINCHU, Taiwan -- Extreme DA(TM), a provider of next generation variation-aware integrated circuit (IC) design and sign-off solutions, and UMC, a leading global semiconductor foundry, announced their collaboration on variation-aware IC design flows for 90-nm and lower process technologies. The flows aim to accelerate time-to-manufacturing and reduce design uncertainty by focusing on design-for-manufacturing (DFM) issues such as timing and power variability prediction and optimization in the presence of process variations. The first flow, based on Extreme DA's production-ready Extreme XT(TM) sign-off tools, has already been applied to a UMC test-chip at UMC's 90-nm process node.

The partnership between Extreme DA and UMC focuses on 65-nm design flow development, including:

--Design of test structures for collecting specific process variation data

--Extraction of pure random, spatially-correlated random, die-to-die random, and systematic variations in the front- and back-end processes

--Silicon verification of XT's statistical timing and extraction results.

Using Extreme XT's statistical extraction and timing tools will allow mutual customers to utilize this unique variation-aware sign-off capability on UMC's proven 65-nm process, enabling improved parametric yield, reduced pessimism, and robust design capabilities.

"Our engineers continue to explore and develop ways to help our customers better achieve parametric yield prediction and optimization for a robust design closure," said Patrick T. Lin, chief SOC architect at UMC. "Extreme DA's IC design and sign-off tools provide a valuable resource to help them realize this goal. Our collaboration with Extreme DA has produced very encouraging results. We look forward to offering the benefits of these design flows to our 90-nm and 65-nm customers in the near future."

Extreme DA CEO, Mustafa Celik, said, "It has been a pleasure to work closely with one of the world's top foundries to develop these unique, variation-aware design and sign-off flows for advanced systems-on-chips (SoCs). We expect that they will satisfy the fabless semiconductor companies' demands for faster, more accurate timing closure and higher chip yields."

About Extreme XT

The XT tool suite from Extreme DA provides the foundation of variation-aware design flows for 65- and 45-nanometer ICs, facilitating parametric yield measurement, optimization, and robust design closure. XT models IC variations and analyzes the statistical effects on extraction, timing, noise, and power. Its patent pending 'sensitivity analysis' technology lets designers evaluate yield sensitivity with respect to a given cell or gate.

About UMC

UMC (NYSE: UMC, TSE: 2303) is a leading global semiconductor foundry that manufactures advanced process ICs for applications spanning every major sector of the semiconductor industry. UMC delivers cutting-edge foundry technologies that enable sophisticated system-on-chip (SoC) designs, including volume production 90nm, industry-leading 65nm, and mixed signal/RFCMOS. UMC's 10 wafer manufacturing facilities include two advanced 300mm fabs; Fab 12A in Taiwan and Singapore-based Fab 12i are both in volume production for a variety of customer products. The company employs approximately 12,000 people worldwide and has offices in Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, Europe, and the United States. UMC can be found on the web at http://www.umc.com.

About Extreme DA

Headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif., venture-funded Extreme DA develops and licenses software products to accelerate the design of 65- and 45-nanometer integrated circuits. For the latest news and information on Extreme DA, visit www.extreme-da.com or write to [e-mail].

Extreme DA and Extreme XT are trademarks of Extreme DA. All other legal marks are the property of their respective owners.