SAN JOSE, CA 7/13/2011 9:32:00 PM
News / Science & Technology

TSMC Qualifies Magma's QCP Extractor for 28-nm Designs

Magma Design Automation Inc. (Nasdaq:LAVA), a provider of chip design solutions, today announced TSMC has included the QCP™ extractor in TSMC’s quarterly EDA qualification report for 28-nanometer (nm) integrated circuits (ICs). This qualification gives designers additional confidence in using QCP to address the increasing complexity of ICs implemented in TSMC’s 28-nm processes.

New device structures and the growing number of metal layers used at the 28-nm node are introducing many additional parasitic effects that can affect the performance of ICs. To create simulation models that accurately predict circuit performance, designers need accurate extraction capabilities. QCP meets TSMC’s 28-nm process requirements for via etch, multi-dimensional etch tables, contact biasing and additional via rules to ensure required support. In addition to meeting the complex requirements of 28-nm design, QCP provides advanced extraction capabilities for ICs implemented in 40-nm and larger process technologies.

"Close collaboration with strategic partners continues to be the key to achieving TSMC’s goal of providing the IC industry's most advanced design ecosystem,” said Suk Lee, director, Design Infrastructure Marketing Division, TSMC. “Qualifying QCP, Magma’s next-generation extraction tool, is another milestone in ensuring mutual customers’ silicon success at 28 nm.”

“Already proven to provide faster multi-corner extraction than traditional tools, the adoption of QCP is rapidly increasing,” said Premal Buch, general manager of Magma's Design Implementation Business Unit. “TSMC’s qualification of QCP provides our customers additional confidence in its ability to quickly and accurately extract parasitics on 28-nm designs.”

QCP: Meeting the Extraction Challenges of 28-nm Design

QCP was architected to provide the fastest extraction with the highest accuracy. QCP provides near-linear scalability on multi-processor machines, enabling design teams to reduce runtimes and speed timing closure. It also addresses multi-corner process, voltage and temperature (PVT) problems that emerge at 28 nm by enabling additional corners to be extracted with only a minimal increase in runtime.

About Magma:

Top semiconductor makers worldwide use Magma’s electronic design automation (EDA) software to produce chips for electronic applications including tablet computing devices, mobile devices such as smartphones, electronic games, digital video, networking, military/aerospace and memory. Magma products provide the "Fastest Path to Silicon”™ and include software for digital design, analog implementation, mixed-signal design, physical verification, circuit simulation, characterization and yield management. The company maintains headquarters in San Jose, Calif., and offices throughout North America, Europe, Japan, Asia and India. Magma's stock trades on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol LAVA.

Magma is a registered trademark and “Fastest Path to Silicon” and QCP are trademarks of Magma Design Automation Inc. All other product and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

Forward-looking statements:

Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters set forth in this press release including statements that quickly and accurately extracts parasitic on advanced-node designs and about the features and benefits of Magma products are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially, including but not limited to TSMC's and Magma's abilities to keep pace with rapidly changing technology and the companies' products' abilities to produce desired results. Further discussion of these and other potential risk factors may be found in Magma's public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (www.sec.gov). Magma undertakes no additional obligation to update these forward-looking statements

Contact:

Monica Marmie

Director, Corporate Marketing

(408) 565-7689

mmarmie@magma-da.com