STARC Adds Magma's Quartz SSTA Statistical Analysis and Optimization Solution to Variation-Aware 65- and 45-nm Design Methodology.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Evaluation Demonstrates Accuracy and Fast Turnaround Time of Magma's Comprehensive Statistical Static Timing Analysis 

Magma(R) Design Automation Inc. (Nasdaq:LAVA), provider of semiconductor design software, today announced that the Semiconductor Technology Academic Research Center (STARC) of Japan has chosen Magma's Quartz(TM) SSTA statistical static timing analysis and optimization software for its process-friendly design flow methodology project for 65- and 45-nanometer (nm) and smaller geometries. Quartz SSTA is part of the variation-aware design methodology that's currently under development and slated for early 2007 release. After a detailed investigation, STARC has chosen Magma software for their evaluation project because of its comprehensive approach to statistical static timing analysis and optimization, demonstrated accuracy and fast turnaround time.

"When faced with process variation at 65 and 45 nm and below, many of our member companies are discovering that traditional timing analysis and sign-off are too pessimistic, making timing closure difficult to reach," said Nobuyuki Nishiguchi, STARC's vice president of Design Methodology. "We are testing Quartz SSTA's analysis and optimization capabilities and its ability to address timing and parametric yield problems caused by process variation. We expect that Quartz SSTA will reduce redundant pessimism, improve turnaround time and enhance the robustness of the design."

Semiconductor processes at 65 and 45 nm and below exhibit more variations in manufacturing and sensitivity to operating environment parameters that affect circuit performance. Traditional sign-off flows are overly conservative and often inaccurate because they run static timing analysis (STA) at an increasing number of process and environmental corners with highly guard-banded on-chip variation (OCV) analysis. As a result, traditional STA approaches do not scale to 65 and 45 nm and are unable to account for process and metal variations, causing designers to sign off on designs that may ultimately fail in silicon. Designs that pass traditional corner-based sign-off standards may still fail in silicon due to process variations affecting both device characteristics and interconnect. This unreliable approach results in lower performance and longer, more costly design cycles.

Quartz SSTA gives designers critical information about how their design performance will vary with changes in process, metal or environmental variables. It supplements traditional sign-off methods with accurate SSTA that identifies cells and nets on both clock paths and data paths that are sensitive to variations. Quartz SSTA works with Magma's IC implementation system to automatically identify and fix timing problems that result from these variations. With this variability-aware IC implementation flow, pessimism is reduced, enabling faster chip performance and reduced area.

"Magma's statistical analysis and optimization flow is specifically built to address the challenges to analysis and sign-off caused by increased process variation at 65 and 45 nm and below," said Kam Kittrell, general manager of Magma's Design Implementation Business Unit. "As an organization focused on developing world-class design flows, STARC's adoption of Quartz SSTA underscores the need for statistical analysis and its ability to help designers achieve silicon success faster."

About Quartz SSTA

Quartz SSTA is a complete statistical static timing analysis product that includes characterization, extraction, delay calculation and timing analysis. It is built on the proven and production quality STA and extraction platforms of Quartz Time and Quartz RC. These products work in conjunction with Magma's IC implementation system to enable designers to deliver complete sign-off-quality design closure with better timing, faster turnaround time and higher capacity than conventional point-tool flows.

About Magma

Magma's software for integrated circuit (IC) design is recognized as embodying the best in semiconductor technology. The world's top chip companies use Magma's electronic design automation (EDA) software to design and verify complex, high-performance ICs for communications, computing, consumer electronics and networking applications, while at the same time reducing design time and costs. Magma provides software for IC implementation, analysis, physical verification, characterization and programmable logic design, and its integrated RTL-to-GDSII design flow offers "The Fastest Path from RTL to Silicon"(TM). Magma is headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., with offices around the world. Magma's stock trades on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol LAVA. Visit Magma Design Automation on the Web at www.magma-da.com and at www.magma-da.co.jp.

Magma is a registered trademark and Quartz and "The Fastest Path from RTL to Silicon" are trademarks of Magma Design Automation. All other product and company names are trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective companies.

Forward-looking Statements:

Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release, including statements that Quartz SSTA will improve turnaround time and enhance the robustness designs and about the features and benefits of Magma software are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially including, but not limited to Magma's ability to keep pace with rapidly changing technology and its products' abilities to produce desired results. Further discussion of these and other potential risk factors may be found in Magma's public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (www.sec.gov). Magma undertakes no additional obligation to update these forward-looking statements.