CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
24 May 2004
Product News
IBM, Chartered Expand 90nm Joint Design Enablement Program, Enhance Foundry Compatibility With Key EDA Support For Process Technology
IBM and Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing announced support from leading design solutions suppliers for their cross-foundry design enablement program, starting at 90 nanometer (nm).
Under separate collaborations also announced today, the jointly developed IBM-Chartered 90nm process platform was bolstered through the addition of nanometer-scale design libraries, electronic design automation (EDA) tools and standard foundry reference flows from Cadence Design Systems, Magma Design Automation, Mentor Graphics Corporation, and Synopsys (see separate press releases). This expanded support for the industry's first cross-foundry platform further enhances the benefits and accessibility of the joint offering from IBM and Chartered, setting a new standard for compatibility, design portability and flexible sourcing.
Cadence, Magma, Mentor, and Synopsys are working closely with IBM and Chartered to characterize their design technologies, pre-verify design data and validate tool flows that can help lower the customer risk and cost associated with adopting the 90nm process, as well as streamline the ability to move between the two foundries. Key deliverables include:
• Cadence RTL-to-GDSII reference flow based on the EncounterT digital IC design platform;
• Magma design enablement kit with RTL-to-GDSII reference flow for its Blast Create, Blast Plan and Blast Fusion advanced IC design tools;
• Mentor CalibreŽ design-to-silicon platform support for physical design verification; and
• Synopsys RTL-to-GDSII implementation flow based on the GalaxyT Design Platform and verification based on the DiscoveryT Verification Platform.
"It is critical that we continue to develop and support a global technology platform that gives our customers access to the industry's most advanced 90nm process and do it in a way that makes moving between our two foundries transparent. As part of our collaboration with Chartered, customers get support from these key EDA suppliers simultaneously for both foundries, saving valuable time and providing enhanced sourcing options," said Tom Reeves, vice president, semiconductor products and solutions, IBM Systems & Technology Group. "By working closely with experts that are deeply involved with issues such as power, signal integrity, timing closure and design for manufacturing, we can streamline the development process for our mutual customers."
"A world-class process platform requires support from world-class technology suppliers," said Kevin Meyer, vice president of worldwide marketing and services at Chartered. "With the help of EDA innovators including Cadence, Magma, Mentor Graphics, and Synopsys, we're building a design ecosystem for the IBM-Chartered process that is the most robust and production-worthy in the industry, and brings the benefits of both 90nm silicon and seamless foundry compatibility to leading-edge product developers. Our collaboration with IBM is focused on providing an unprecedented level of flexible access to leading-edge capacity from two of the world's leading manufacturers."
Earlier this year, IBM and Chartered announced the first milestone in the cross-foundry design enablement program shared library support with two leading suppliers of baseline libraries, Artisan Components, Inc. and Virage Logic Corporation.
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