SAN JOSE, Calif., Nov. 6, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Magma(r) Design Automation Inc. (Nasdaq:LAVA), a provider of semiconductor design software, today announced the availability of Quartz(tm) DRC-qualified runsets for TSMC's 45-nanometer (nm) process technology. Combined with Magma software, the runsets provide designers with a complete, integrated implementation and verification solution that accelerates time to market and improves manufacturability of designs targeted for TSMC's advanced process technology.
At 45 nm, variability in manufacturing is sensitive to chip yield and performance; as a result, design rule checking (DRC) remains a very critical step to ensure the quality of design tapeout. Quartz DRC, introduced in 2005 as the industry's first linearly scalable physical verification tool, enables faster time to market for manufacturing sign-off. This product is now deployed in production worldwide at top semiconductor manufacturers, including recognized leaders in microprocessors, graphics, networking and wireless chip design, and has been certified by major foundries for sign-off at 90-, 65-, 45-nm and finer process nodes. Magma's "in-the-loop" DRC physical sign-off brings DRC-correct layout into the place-and-route flow, eliminating costly final errors by performing GDSII-level error correction without exporting the design database.
"Magma's Quartz DRC tool is essential to the confidence of designers who have been using Magma for physical verification sign-off and the Talus(r) platform for physical synthesis and sign-off," said Kuo Wu, deputy director of Design Services Marketing at TSMC. "Magma's DRC tool is interoperable with the design tools in TSMC's Reference Flow 8.0, enabling it to fit into our customers' flows."
"Magma's physical verification solution has been shown to reduce tapeout cycles by weeks and enable increased parametric and catastrophic yield," said John Lee, general manager of Magma's Physical Verification Business Unit. "By partnering to provide mutual customers with advanced process technology, physical verification solutions and Quartz DRC runsets, Magma and TSMC demonstrate a shared commitment to enabling designers to meet time-to-market and yield challenges at 45 nm."
About Magma
Magma's software for designing integrated circuits (ICs) is used to create complex, high-performance chips required in cellular telephones, electronic games, WiFi, MP3 players, DVD/digital video, networking, automotive electronics and other electronic applications. Magma's EDA software for IC implementation, analysis, physical verification, circuit simulation and characterization is recognized as embodying the best in semiconductor technology, enabling the world's top chip companies to "Design Ahead of the Curve"(tm) while reducing design time and costs. Magma is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., with offices around the world. Magma's stock trades on Nasdaq under the ticker symbol LAVA. Visit Magma Design Automation on the Web at www.magma-da.com.
Magma and Talus are registered trademarks, and "Design Ahead of the Curve" and Quartz 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 Magma software accelerates physical verification and improves yields of 45-nm chips 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 Magma's ability to keep pace with rapidly changing technology and its 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.
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