Microcosm Technologies, Inc. Releases MEMCAD 4.6 MEMS / MST Integrated Design Package.

RALEIGH, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 8, 1999--

MEMCAD 4.6 Enhanced To Provide Single Software Solution For Turnkey Design Of MEMS For Bio-Medical, Automotive, Telecommunications

And Optical Systems

Microcosm Technologies, Inc., the leading provider of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) product development solutions for automotive, telecommunication, bio-medical, and industrial control system products today announced significant enhancements to MEMCAD(TM), their suite of software products for complex MEMS device and system design. In combination with Microcosm's professional services, manufacturing partnerships, and design kits, MEMCAD 4.6 provides customers the most comprehensive MEMS design solution available. MEMCAD 4.6 extends Microcosm's device, system, and packaging design capabilities with enhancements to model electrostatic spring softening effects in RF resonators and coriolis effects in gyros used in navigation and platform stabilization. This release also includes Catapult(TM), a 100% Java(TM), user-friendly, full-featured, 2-D layout editor. Catapult(TM) is the first tool to directly address the unique requirements and design rules of MEMS design and includes such important features as curve fitting and all-angle data support. A new Java-based user interface provides platform-independent access to MEMCAD 4.6. In addition, operating system support has been expanded to include Microsoft(TM) Windows NT as well as continued support for SUN Solaris(TM) and HP HPUX(TM).

MEMS BACKGROUND INFORMATION

MEMS are highly miniaturized devices that integrate a number of functions including fluidics, optics, mechanics and electronics on a single silicon chip using traditional integrated circuit process technology. MEMS merge sensing, actuating and computing into miniature systems that enable enhanced levels of perception, control and performance. Example applications include: the automotive industry with advanced sensor technology (such as air bag deployment); medical device companies with products such as miniature drug delivery systems; biotech companies with handheld DNA analysis products, and component companies with HDTV quality projection displays on a chip.

MEMCAD 4.6 KEY FEATURES/BENEFITS

Catapult(TM) allows users to perform 2-D mask design of MEMS devices completely within the MEMCAD environment. Catapult(TM) can significantly improve design productivity by giving the designer access to pre-defined and parameterized layout cells for common MEMS components. Included with Catapult(TM) are several elements of the CaMEL(TM) (consolidated micro-mechanical element library) library to allow the user to design MUMPs(TM) (multi-user MEMS processes)-compatible devices quickly and to modify them by simply changing a parameter. Design libraries containing parameterized standard cells of MEMS components are also available for leading MEMS foundries through Microcosm's Manufacturing Partnership Program. In addition, users can develop their own library of devices by writing custom layout generators using the industry standard Tcl language.

MEMCAD 4.6 offers solid model generation capability that supports all common surface, bulk, and LIGA micro-machined devices. MEMCAD 4.6 also supports automeshing of tetrahedral elements for easier and faster creation of a mesh for 3-D simulation. MEMCAD is the only CAD tool for MEMS that can automatically extract a full 6 degree-of-freedom macro-model for a MEMS component and then perform a complete system simulation. Microcosm has increased the functionality of this unique macro-model extraction capability by including both electrostatic spring softening effects and coriolis forces. The addition of electrostatic spring softening effects is key for any designer of resonant MEMS structures such as RF resonators used in telecommunications. Coriolis effect extraction is key to the design of rotational MEMS components such as gyroscopes or angular rate sensors used for platform stabilization (for example in automotive applications and for video camera image stabilization) and navigation systems, as in GPS (global positioning systems).

"With the release of MEMCAD 4.6, Microcosm Technologies once again validates our position as the premier provider of quality integrated software and services that will enable the proliferation of MEMS-based solutions in a broad spectrum of applications," said Microcosm President Mike Jamiolkowski. "Our commitment to developing robust integrated tools allows customers to concentrate on solving complex systems problems, not learning software."

PRICING AND AVAILABILITY

MEMCAD 4.6 is available immediately from Microcosm Technologies, Inc. in the U.S. and Europe, and through distributors in Asia Pacific. Pricing for the base MEMCAD system in the U.S. starts at $50,000.

ABOUT MICROCOSM TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Established in 1996, Microcosm Technologies, Inc. is the leading supplier of software and professional services for the fast growing micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) and micro systems technology (MST) industry. Microcosm has licensed MEMCAD to over 40 commercial companies, including all the leaders in MEMS product development. These companies include Analog Devices, Bosch, Motorola, Omron, PE Biosystems, Siemens, ST Microelectronics, Texas Instruments, and Xerox. In addition, the company's products are also used at the world's leading academic institutions including MIT, CMU, Stanford, UC Berkeley, IMT Neuchatel, University of Twente, CNRS, TU Munich, and KU Leuven. Microcosm's corporate headquarters are in Raleigh, NC. The company also has sales and support offices located in Cambridge, MA; Colorado Springs, CO; San Mateo, CA; Amsterdam, Netherlands and Paris, France. The company is privately held. For further information about Microcosm Technologies, Inc. visit our web site at http://www.memcad.com or contact David Cook, VP of Sales, at 919-854-7500 (Ext. 105), [e-mail].

MEMCAD and Catapult are trademarks of Microcosm Technologies, Inc. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.