Cadence Design Systems,
Inc. (NASDAQ: CDNS), the leader in global electronic design innovation,
today announced that Freescale Semiconductor has successfully taped out a 45-nanometer
networking design using the Cadence "correct-by-design" prevention,
analysis, implementation and signoff solution for faster, more predictable time-to-volume
production. The flow incorporates the industry's leading model-based design-for-manufacturing
(DFM) prevention, analysis and signoff, including Cadence Litho Physical Analyzer,
Cadence CMP Predictor, Cadence Litho Electrical Analyzer, Cadence QRC Extraction,
and model-based routing optimization with the Cadence® Encounter® Digital
Implementation (EDI) System. This seamless methodology demonstrated significantly
faster turnaround time compared to traditional DFM solutions and was used to
tape out the design to Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing.
"For high-volume designs using advanced process nodes, we believe it is
a key enabler and differentiator to have silicon-accurate analysis and implementation
of yield-critical steps such as lithography and CMP," said Kyle Patterson,
manager of DFM Technologies at Freescale Semiconductor. "By incorporating
Cadence advanced DFM techniques, both physical and electrical, into implementation,
we are able to accurately predict manufacturing issues and prevent them from
occurring, and with a methodology that takes a fraction of the time compared
to traditional DFM methods. Fundamentally, this allows us to accelerate our
time-to-market and time-to-volume requirements."
Through collaborations with leading semiconductor companies such as Freescale,
Cadence has developed one of the industry's most complete DFM prevention, analysis
and signoff methodologies, enabling design-side optimizations that reduce manufacturing
risk. Cadence solutions leverage multi-core distributed processing to seamlessly
address increasing design cycle and database size increases at 45- and 32-nanometer
process nodes and have proven to deliver near-linear scalability. In addition,
Cadence Litho Electrical Analyzer is the industry's first electrical DFM (eDFM)
solution in production use at leading semiconductor companies from 90 nanometers
down to 40 nanometers, and is currently facilitating 32- and 28-nanometer variability-aware
library development.
"Our collective vision is to accurately model manufacturing effects and
address them during the design phase," said Dr. Kuang-Kuo "K.K."
Lin, senior manager of DFM Services at Chartered. "By working with Cadence
to develop silicon-accurate DFM models for analysis and digital implementation,
we have produced a DFM flow with distinct benefits for Freescale, which results
in faster cycle times."
"The design complexity and stringent manufacturing budgets at 45- and
32-nanometers require early three-way collaboration between the customer, the
foundry and EDA, beginning at the library level," said Dave Desharnais,
group director of Digital Implementation Solutions at Cadence. "We are
pleased that our silicon-proven technology has enabled Freescale's design success
and look forward to ensuring their continued design closure successes. Cadence
will continue to invest to be a leading provider of the entire manufacturability-aware
implementation flow."