PDF Solutions Integrates Process-Aware DFM Environment with Cadence New Global Physical Synthesis
SAN DIEGO--June 7, 2004--| PDF pDfx Software Now Interoperable with Cadence Encounter Digital IC Design Platform |
PDF Solutions(R), Inc. announced the integration of its pDfx(TM) process-aware DFM environment with Cadence Design Systems Inc.'s First Encounter(R) Global Physical Synthesis (GPS), also announced at DAC. This collaboration was made possible through the Cadence(R) Connections(R) program, of which PDF Solutions is an Emerging Solutions member. Mutual customers can leverage this interoperability to optimize their products for manufacturability before tapeout.
"PDF Solutions' collaboration with Cadence will help our shared customers achieve faster time-to-volume yields and reduced development costs," said Michael Buehler-Garcia, vice president of DFM Solutions at PDF Solutions. "With PDF Solutions products such as pDfx and Circuit Surfer(R) operating in the Cadence digital and analog design flows, respectively, Cadence customers can now seamlessly perform yield trade-offs during their designs efforts, resulting in products optimized for yield on a specific process."
"Our customers want to analyze and manage for manufacturability very early in the design process," said Eric Filseth, vice president of marketing for the Cadence Encounter platform. "By linking the process-aware capability of pDfx with the fast prototype and global design closure capabilities of First Encounter GPS, the Cadence 'wire-centric' design approach now includes yield enhancement, leveraging PDF Solutions' manufacturability modeling and optimization know-how."
About the pDfx Process Aware Design Environment
The pDfx environment packages PDF Solutions' extensive knowledge of leading-edge IC manufacturability and delivers it directly to IC designers. Using pDfx, designers can optimize products for manufacturability before tapeout, which is designed to result in product cost savings and faster ramps to production-level yields. This reduces the need to re-spin mask sets for manufacturability issues, which is essential to designers as IC designs move to 130 nanometer and smaller technologies. pDfx is designed to integrate with intellectual property from the target process and with products from the top EDA vendors.
Initial design efforts using the pDfx environment have resulted in customers achieving yield improvements ranging from five- to ten-percent increases in net good die. This level of yield improvement gives customers of pDfx a major competitive advantage.
About the Cadence Connections Program
The Cadence Connections Program promotes open interoperability in all areas of electronic design including digital, custom IC, analog/mixed-signal, and PCB design. By attracting best-in-class members, Cadence offers the industry's largest collection of third-party solutions operating fully with the Cadence suite of design tools. The Connections Program has over 120 member companies working toward developing an optimized silicon design chain for customers. Information about the Connections Program may be found at www.connectionsprogram.com.
About PDF Solutions
PDF Solutions(R), Inc. is the leading provider of process-design-integration technologies for manufacturing integrated circuits (ICs). PDF's software, methodologies, and services enable semiconductor companies to create IC designs that are more manufacturable and manufacturing processes that are more capable. By simulating deep sub-micron product and process interactions, the PDF solution offers clients reduced time to market, increased IC yield and performance, and enhanced product reliability and profitability. Headquartered in San Jose, Calif., PDF operates worldwide with additional offices in Europe and Japan. For more information, visit www.pdf.com.
PDF Solutions(R) and Circuit Surfer(R) are registered trademarks, and pDfx is a trademark, of PDF Solutions, Inc. Cadence, Connections and Virtuoso are registered trademarks, and Encounter is a trademark, of Cadence Design Systems, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.