SAN JOSE, CA — (Marketwired) — 05/15/13 — ProPlus Design Solutions, Inc. () announced today that Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (“SMIC”) (NYSE: SMI) (SEHK: 981) has deployed ProPlus- NanoYield High-Sigma (HS) within its advanced technology development flow.
SMIC uses NanoYield to optimize its Static Random-Access Memory (SRAM) for 28-nanometer (nm) process development, as well as 20nm and beyond. NanoYield, a fast and accurate yield prediction and optimization software for memory, logic and analog circuit design, was launched last year by ProPlus, the global leader for SPICE modeling solutions and leading provider of design for yield (DFY) applications.
“NanoYield has become an important component of our development flow,” remarks Dr. ShiuhWuu Lee, executive vice president of Technology Development at SMIC. “With NanoYield, we were able to improve the process and reduce the time to achieve our yield targets.”
SRAM yield is limited by local process variations that become more severe at advanced technology nodes, especially at 28nm and beyond. Traditionally, foundry engineers need to run different process splits and analyze results to understand variation behavior of the process and its impact on SRAM yield, adding to process development time and cost. With NanoYield HS-Pro technology, engineers can quickly predict and verify SRAM yield to Six Sigma during early process development by running a series of simulations that represent different process adjustments.
NanoYield HS-Pro technology, licensed from IBM and enhanced by ProPlus, is silicon validated and can reduce traditional Monte Carlo simulation time for high-sigma analysis by several orders of magnitude. With NanoYield, foundries can develop advanced process technology with better cost control and improved time to market, offering the best possible product yield to their customers.
Additionally, SMIC and ProPlus are working on a long-term strategic partnership, a direct result of the close cooperation between their engineering teams. Previously, the companies collaborated on advanced SPICE modeling, extended to include process technology development and design flow enhancement for yield improvement. The partnership agreement will include support for SMIC-s technology development for fast turnaround and better yield, as well as to provide better products and solutions to SMIC and ProPlus- customers.
“SMIC is a valued partner,” says Dr. Zhihong Liu, executive chairman of ProPlus Design Solutions. “We have worked closely with SMIC to utilize the NanoYield High-Sigma solution to optimize its 28nm SRAM yield. Early SRAM yield verification increases the confidence of customers and library and intellectual property development partners, thus resulting in faster volume ramp.”
ProPlus Design Solutions, Inc. delivers Electronic Design Automation (EDA) solutions with the mission to enhance the link between design and manufacturing. It is the global leader for SPICE modeling solutions and the leading technology provider for unique Design-for-Yield (DFY) products that integrate the key DFY components — advanced device modeling software, a parallel SPICE simulation circuit simulator and hardware-validated statistical variation analysis tools. Products include: BSIMProPlus/Model Explorer, a modeling technology platform for nanometer devices; NoisePro/9812B/9812D, the golden solution for low-frequency 1/f noise and Random Telegraph Signal (RTS) noise characterization and process monitoring; NanoSpice, a high-capacity, high-performance parallel SPICE simulator for giga-scale circuit simulation; and NanoYield/NanoExplorer, a variation analysis platform for yield versus power, performance and area trade-off of memory, analog and digital circuit designs. ProPlus Design Solutions has R&D centers in the San Jose, Calif. and Beijing and Jinan, China, with sales offices in Tokyo, Japan, Hsinchu, Taiwan, and Shanghai, China. More information about ProPlus Design Solutions can be found at .
Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (“SMIC”) (NYSE: SMI) (SEHK: 981) is one of the leading semiconductor foundries in the world and the largest and most advanced foundry in mainland China, providing integrated circuit (IC) foundry and technology services at 0.35-micron to 40-nanometer. Headquartered in Shanghai, China, SMIC has a 300mm wafer fabrication facility (fab) and a 200mm mega-fab in Shanghai, a 300mm mega-fab in Beijing, a 200mm fab in Tianjin, and a 200mm fab project under development in Shenzhen. SMIC also has customer service and marketing offices in the U.S., Europe, Japan, and Taiwan, and a representative office in Hong Kong.
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BSIMProPlus, Model Explorer, NanoExplorer, NanoSpice, NanoYield and NoisePro are registered trademarks of ProPlus Design Solutions. ProPlus Design Solutions acknowledges trademarks or registered trademarks of other organizations for their respective products and services.
For more information, contact:
Nanette Collins
Public Relations for ProPlus Design Solutions
(617) 437-1822
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