DFM Tools Suite offers complete OPC solution.

Press Release Summary:



Halo(TM) Suite includes Halo OPC(TM), Halo Sim(TM), and Halo-Cal(TM), which deliver solutions to problems that result from chip design re-spins, designs that need OPC (optical proximity correction) modification to solve yield issues, or modified designs that require quick change to mask data. It is designed for IC manufacturers using processes particular for ultra-deep sub-100 nm technology nodes and below. Suite also leverages incumbent OPC tools when applicable.



Original Press Release:



OPC Closure Has Arrived - Aprio Announces Its Halo(TM) DFM Suite



One-of-a-Kind, Design-Aware Tool Suite Breaks New Ground for OPC Closure

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Jan. 10 -- Aprio Technologies Inc. is staking its claim as the leading supplier of second-generation DFM tools with the release of its one-of-a-kind Halo(TM) suite of tools. In less than two years since its founding, Aprio is bringing to market its first products -- Halo OPC(TM), Halo Sim(TM) and Halo-Cal(TM). The products deliver a fresh and effective answer to the thorny problems that come with chip design re-spins, designs that need OPC (optical proximity correction) modification to solve yield issues, or modified designs that require a quick change to mask data (also called ECOs). Completely complimentary, the Halo suite provides the necessary pathway to a truly complete OPC solution.

The Halo suite of tools was created for IC manufacturers using advanced processes particular for the ultra-deep sub-100nm technology nodes and below. As it stands, manufacturers using first-generation OPC tools are spending weeks to generate the final mask data for their design. And, in many cases, they are sorely missing an easy methodology to correct any problems found without re-running the entire OPC generation from the beginning. Aprio's one-of-a-kind Reconfigurable OPC Technology(TM) is the source for Halo OPC's stature as the first tool to reconfigure an OPC'd layout for a new, optimized OPC result. Such a result can deliver huge performance gains, such as 30x faster results in implementing a design change in the mask data.

Clive Wu, PhD., CEO and CTO of Aprio explains, "Our starting point was creating the Trinity Data Model(TM) -- a completely new data model capable of understanding circuit, geometry and process information. Armed with the ability to track the relationships between versions of the drawn layout and the corresponding OPC results, we quickly saw several interesting possibilities surface."

To achieve breathtaking results instead of just incremental improvements, Aprio rethought the problem and came up with several brand new concepts, for which the company has already filed several patents. Wu continued, "There are so many good reasons to re-use your previous OPC results so, of course, we do. Halo-OPC makes it possible to get through the mask data preparation phase in a fraction of the time it's taking today while maintaining compatibility with the same tools manufacturers are using today."

Because qualification of an OPC tool can take considerable time and require several test wafers, Aprio has chosen to architect its Halo suite to leverage incumbent OPC tools when applicable. In those instances, the Halo-Cal tool is used to generate models for Halo-OPC and Halo-Sim that mimic the behavior of the already-qualified tool. This calibration tool makes it possible to use Halo-Sim for finding errors in existing OPC results while Halo-OPC is then used to fix those errors in a style consistent with the tool initially used. Since this approach allows for qualification in software, Aprio's Halo suite of tools really complement existing OPC generation tools that have already been qualified by the manufacturer. Halo-Cal also supports a flexible modeling approach to work straight from measured results when applied to new processes without an existing OPC solution.

"We've already used our tools with customer data in processes below 65nm. Customers have been astonished at our accuracy, especially considering we can even create their initial OPC corrections several times faster than the tools they've used before," said Wu. "We are excited to present this technology to the market. And there is certainly more to come."

Price and Availability

Time-based license packages for the Halo suite start from $380,000 and are available immediately. Halo tools run on Solaris 32-b and 64-b, Linux 32-b and 64-b, Linux cluster.

About Aprio

Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., Aprio Technologies Inc. is the technology leader in design-for-manufacturing (DFM) solutions that enable a fast path from design to successful manufacturing. Aprio's technology provides the foundation for a DFM platform that eliminates current tools' bottlenecks caused by run-time and data volume explosion. For more information, visit the Aprio Web site at www.aprio.com or call +1-408-855-8088.

CONTACT: Eva Kam of Aprio Technologies Inc., +1-408-855-8088, or eva@aprio.com; or Patrick Corcoran of McClenahan Bruer Communications, +1-503-546-1005, or jpatrick@mcbru.com, for Aprio Web site: www.aprio.com/

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