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Simplex Interconnect Extraction
Accuracy Validated
With Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing's
Silicon
Companies Set New Standard for Deep
Submicron Silicon
Characterization with Improved Test Chip
Methodology
SUNNYVALE, Calif. - June 8, 1998 - Simplex Solutions, Inc. (Sunnyvale,
Calif.) and Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing (Singapore and Milpitas,
Calif.) announced today that Chartered has validated the accuracy of the
Simplex Fire & Ice™ extraction results within 10 percent of silicon
measurements on Chartered's 0.35 micron process.
Simplex developed
the test structures and a new test chip methodology known as the "active
approach." The active approach enables measurements down to femtofarads (one
femtofarad is equal to 0.001 picofarad). Previous approaches, known as
"passive," could produce measurements accurately down to only the picofarad
range, which is insufficient for the detail required by deep
submicron.
The validation process required Chartered to fabricate the
test wafer and conduct the electrical and physical measurements. Simplex
compared the extracted capacitance with results achieved on the actual
silicon to complete the validation. Working together, both companies set an
important new standard for silicon characterization with the successful use
of the new test chip methodology.
Interconnect extraction accuracy is
more critical to our foundry customers as we push into ultra-deep submicron
technologies," stated SY Tan-Stahel, director of marketing at Chartered.
"When tools like Simplex Fire & Ice are validated in silicon, customers
have more confidence in predicting the accuracy of their designs and
realizing first-time silicon success."
We're delighted to have set a
new standard in silicon characterization with Chartered," said Jan Willis,
vice president of corporate marketing and business development at Simplex.
"Together, the two companies have dedicated significant resources to give
designers a new level of support and confidence. Designers using Simplex
Fire & Ice now have a measure of accuracy that enables them to create
and meet timing budgets for their deep submicron designs."
With
today's ever-shortening market windows, design teams don't have the time or
money to miss their timing budgets and re-spin their designs. Unlike other
extraction solutions, Simplex accuracy is predictable from design to design
and process to process, and it provides the speed and capacity necessary for
full-chip extraction of multi-million transistor designs. Through its
partner program, Chartered works with a portfolio of Electronic Design
Automation and Assistance (EDA/A) companies to provide silicon-proven
models, libraries, memory cores, and other intellectual property (IP) so
customer designs can predictably achieve higher performance, better
first-time success, and faster time to market.
About Chartered
Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing (www.charteredsemi.com) is a
leading dedicated foundry, offering advanced wafer manufacturing processes
for a broad range of CMOS logic, memory and mixed-signal technologies.
Through alliances with complementary service providers, Chartered helps
customers gain access to best-in-class services ranging from design to
assembly and final test of packaged chips.
Known for quality
processes and exceptional customer service, Chartered is a recipient of
Semiconductor International Magazine's Top Fab award. Headquartered in
Singapore, the Company operates sales and service offices worldwide.
Chartered is a member company of Singapore Technologies, a technology-based
multinational conglomerate with 1997 revenues of S $5.4 billion (US $3.4
billion).
About Simplex
Simplex Solutions, Inc. is a pioneer in the new market for deep
submicron full-chip interconnect verification. The company currently
develops full-chip IC extraction and analysis software, used worldwide by
companies developing microprocessors and high-end application-specific
standard products and integrated circuits (ASSPs and ASICs) to improve chip
performance and reduce the risk inherent in new designs. Simplex works
closely with semiconductor foundries Chartered, IBM, NEC, TSMC, Toshiba and
UMC to develop extraction models and validate extraction accuracy. The
company's investors include Attractor Investment Management, Intel
Corporation, Mayfield Fund, Sumitomo Corporation, and Worldview Technology
Partners.
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