Silicon Metrics Announces Expanded Multiyear Agreement with Agere Systems for Advanced ASIC Characterization, Modeling and Analysis Toolset.Business Editors & High-Tech Writers AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 16, 2002 90 Nanometer Process Technology Highlights Need for SiliconSmart(tm) Technology Silicon Metrics today announced a multiyear, expanded agreement with Agere Systems Agere Systems Inc. was an integrated circuit components company based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, in the United States. Effective April 2, 2007, it was merged into LSI Corporation. (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange :AGR AGR advanced gas-cooled reactor .A) (NYSE:AGR.B) to deploy Silicon Metrics characterization, modeling, and analysis tools throughout the Agere application specific integrated circuit integrated circuit (IC), electronic circuit built on a semiconductor substrate, usually one of single-crystal silicon. The circuit, often called a chip, is packaged in a hermetically sealed case or a nonhermetic plastic capsule, with leads extending from it for (ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) Pronounced "a-sick." A chip that is custom designed for a specific application rather than a general-purpose chip such as a microprocessor. ) design process flow. Agere initially purchased SiliconSmart CR in September of 2000. Since then, it has been used to generate thousands of ASIC cells used in numerous high profile products. Under the agreement, Silicon Metrics' SiliconSmart product line will be implemented as part of Agere's 90 nanometer (nm) AGR90 ASIC Platform. To increase the accuracy and speed of its ASIC library development process, Agere is using SiliconSmart CR(tm) technology to accurately account for the issues frequently encountered at finer process technologies, such as excessive curvature curvature Measure of the rate of change of direction of a curved line or surface at any point. In general, it is the reciprocal of the radius of the circle or sphere of best fit to the curve or surface at that point. of response surfaces, high leakage power, and the nonlinear A system in which the output is not a uniform relationship to the input. nonlinear - (Scientific computation) A property of a system whose output is not proportional to its input. scaling of cell performance with voltage and temperature variations. To avoid the costly and time-consuming process of adding 90 nm capabilities to proprietary systems, IC design vendors such as Agere are choosing to replace their proprietary system with commercially developed solutions. "To accelerate our ASIC customers' time to market and high-performance needs in the 130 nm and unfolding 90 nm ASIC market, Agere is coupling its comprehensive portfolio of communications intellectual property with key ASIC design flow tools such as the SiliconSmart product line," said Donald Friedberg, Director of Design Methodologies at Agere. "Agere is renewing and broadening its relationship with Silicon Metrics given the already strong relationship we have with the company and the benefits Agere and its ASIC customers gain from its technologies." Agere is aggressively pursuing the delivery of the AGR90 ASIC Platform. The advancement to 90 nm technology requires even greater attention to the characterization and modeling of the subtle electrical affects that influence timing and power accuracy of standard cell and input/output (I/O (Input/Output) The transfer of data between the CPU and a peripheral device. Every transfer is an output from one device and an input to another. See PC input/output. I/O - Input/Output ) libraries. As a result, Agere will incorporate Silicon Metrics' entire SiliconSmart product line into its ASIC design flow. In addition to SiliconSmart CR, Agere will deploy SiliconSmart MR(tm) for memory characterization; SiliconSmart IO(tm) for I/O circuit characterization and specification compliance testing; and SiliconSmart PATH(tm) for transistor-level critical path analysis within gate-level timing analysis tools. "Accurate characterization, modeling and circuit analysis are the cornerstones of any 90-nanometer design process," said Callan Carpenter, President and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. of Silicon Metrics. "By making a commitment of this magnitude during a semiconductor market down cycle, Agere is clearly signaling the value that this technology brings to companies preparing for the industry's eventual return to growth." For more information, go to http://www.siliconmetrics.com. |
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