Ponte Solutions to License Yield Modeling Platform To Si2's Design-To-Manufacturing Coalition; The Entire Semiconductor Design Chain Will Leverage Common Yield Modeling Platform to Bridge Design To Manufacturing.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- Ponte Solutions, Inc., the design-for-yield (DFY) company, has licensed its yield modeling platform to the Design-To-Manufacturing Coalition (DTMC) of Si2 and will, in turn, become a full member of the coalition.

Ponte's technology will be made available royalty-free to Si2 and DTMC members for standardization purposes, including modification and benchmarking for the next 3 years. While Ponte retains full rights and ownership of the platform, should the technology be adopted, as is or as modified, as a standard by Si2, then it will be available to Si2 royalty free.

"For analysis and enhancement during the design stage of nanometer chips, yield is now just as critical as area, timing and power," said Steve Schulz, president of Si2. "Ponte's technology, integrated with widely used physical design tools, provides compelling solution for designers anticipating hitting the proverbial design-for-manufacturing (DFM) wall."

Ponte's model-based yield analysis technology enables robust yet flexible yield sensitivity analyzer to identify critical areas. The actionable reports from the tool allow engineers to run 'what if' analysis scenarios and help make critical design decisions to reduce yield loss starting from library and IP selection, synthesis, and various stages of physical design from floorplanning to complete GDSII layout. Interfacing with most widely used place-and-route tools and equipped with ready-to-use models for widely used 180 nm and below process technologies.

"With the DTMC initiative Si2 has opened another exciting chapter to help IC designers, semiconductor manufacturers and IP designers to share common knowledge and enable design-stage yield sensitivity analysis and enhancement," said Dr. Ara Markosian, CTO of Ponte. "We are actively working with DTMC to ensure success of this noble initiative," he concluded.

About Ponte

Ponte Solutions, Inc., the design-for-yield company, manufactures and delivers unique full-chip, model-based software products that are used to predict and enable optimization for semiconductor yields at the design stage. Ponte customers include leading semiconductor manufacturers, foundries and design houses worldwide. Founded in 2002, the company has received funding from Telos Venture Partners, US Venture Partners, Incubic LLC, Silicom Ventures LLC and private individuals. The company has offices in Mountain View, California; Grenoble, France; Tokyo, Japan; and Yerevan, Armenia. More information about the company can be found at www.pontesolutions.com.

About Si2

Si2 is an organization of industry-leading companies in the semiconductor, electronic systems and EDA tool industries, focused on improving productivity and reducing cost in creating and producing integrated silicon systems. Through collaborative efforts, the industry can achieve higher levels of systems-on-silicon integration while reducing the cost and complexity of integrating future design systems. For more information go to www.si2.org.

Ponte Solutions is a trademark of Ponte Solutions, Inc. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.