Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. (TWSE: 2330, NYSE: TSM) today unveiled interoperable design rule check (iDRC) and layout-versus-schematic (iLVS), two unified electronic design automation (EDA) data formats, for TSMC 40 nanometer (nm) process technology.
TSMC iDRC and iLVS formats unify process design rules specification and technology file generation, simplify data delivery, and ensure data integrity and interpretation. Physical verification and analysis EDA applications, such as DRC and LVS tools, which support iDRC and iLVS formats will be able to receive accurate design rules data from the iDRC and iLVS files developed and supported by TSMC. The TSMC iDRC/iLVS initiative is supported by major EDA ecosystem partners including Cadence, Magma, Mentor, and Synopsys. The first 40nm iDRC/iLVS was developed in collaboration with TSMC development partners, Mentor and Synopsys, and QA/validation partners, Magma and Cadence. iDRC and iLVS are two of several interoperable EDA interface formats co-developed between TSMC and its design tool partners as part of the TSMC Open Innovation PlatformTM.
Design rules for advanced process technologies are more complex and require detailed and accurate descriptions for correct chip layout creation and post-layout analyses. TSMC collaborates extensively with the EDA partners in the iDRC/iLVS initiative, defines the unified format based on TSMC process requirements, works with EDA partners to implement the new format support in the tools, and closes the loop by qualifying tool accuracy against actual silicon measurements, eliminating data inconsistency, reducing customer tool evaluation time and improving design accuracy. The qualification result is to be found in TSMC EDA qualification program on TSMC-Online, the company’s customer portal. Multiple EDA companies are participating in the qualification program.
“TSMC is the first foundry to collaborate with multiple EDA vendors to create and qualify an interoperable physical verification format that optimizes data delivery and interpretation between physical verification and analysis tools and advanced process technologies,” said ST Juang, senior director of Design Infrastructure Marketing at TSMC, “iDRC and iLVS are part of the TSMC Open Innovation Platform that includes the Active Accuracy Assurance Initiative. This new unified EDA data format provides designers the ability to select qualified EDA tools to match their design needs, improve compliance with TSMC processes, and ensure design accuracy for first-time silicon success.”
Availability
The TSMC iDRC and iLVS files will be available Q3 2009 in limited release and to selected customers. General release to other customers is targeted for Q4 2009. Customers may access the technology files at the TSMC Online customer design portal http://online.tsmc.com/online/ or contact their local sales and support representatives for details.