Business Wire (press release), CA
September 20, 2006 11:00 AM Eastern Time
Ponte Solutions Collaborates with UMC on
Design-for-Yield Methodology; UMC and Ponte to
Establish Design-Stage Yield Analysis Methodology with
Ponte’s Yield Analyzer(TM) for 90nm and 65nm
Technologies
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Sept. 20, 2006–Ponte
Solutions, Inc., the design-for-yield (DFY) company, today announced a
technology partnership with leading global semiconductor manufacturer
UMC (NYSE:UMC)(TSE:2303) to establish design-stage yield analysis that
enables pre-tapeout yield enhancement for 90nm and below technologies.
Ponte’s methodology helps reducing manufacturing cost and
time-to-volume production of complex semiconductor ICs by revealing
yield-sensitive areas of libraries, IPs, memories and full chip
designs and enabling yield improvement at the design stage, prior to
committing to expensive fabrication.
"IC designers have realized the benefits of proactive yield sensitivity
analysis in deep sub-micron technologies," said Ken Liou, director
of the IP and Design Support Division at UMC. "Ponte’s Yield Analyzer
provides Defect Limited Yield information which can be used by tools at
virtually every step of the design flow starting from library/IP design
and characterization to netlist generation, floorplanning, full chip
detailed routing and ECO. Using Yield Analyzer, designers can use DD
(Defect Density) data to analyze two or more layouts to evaluate and
decide the best option for tape-out based on their requirements."
"We strongly believe that yield, traditionally the domain of fabs,
must become a driving factor behind sub-90nm design flows," said Alex
Alexanian, CEO of Ponte Solutions. "Ponte anticipated this trend more
than two years ago and has worked with technology partners to develop
and validate the accuracy, performance and usability of Yield Analyzer
as design-stage yield characterization and analysis tool.
Our partnership with UMC is an important milestone in bringing yield
driven design methodologies to the design community."
About Ponte Solutions
Ponte Solutions, Inc., the design-for-yield company, manufactures
and delivers unique, full-chip, model-based software products for
semiconductor yield analysis and prediction, enabling designers to
perform design-stage yield optimization. Ponte’s customers include
leading semiconductor manufacturers, foundries and design houses
worldwide. Founded in 2002, the company has received funding from US
Venture Partners, Telos Venture Partners, Incubic LLC, Silicom Ventures
LLC and private individuals. The company has offices in Mountain View,
California; Grenoble, France; Tokyo, Japan; and Yerevan, Armenia. More
information about the company can be found at
Ponte Solutions and Yield Analyzer are trademarks of Ponte Solutions,
Inc. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.