HSINCHU, Taiwan, July 22 --
- Introduces SiP design solutions for the first time and continues to drive
differentiated features in power, performance and DFM
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. (TWSE:2330, NYSE: TSM) today
unveiled Reference Flow 10.0, the latest version of its industry-leading design
methodology to lower design obstacles, improve design margins, and increase
yields. Reference Flow 10.0 is one of the key collaborative components of the
Open Innovation Platform(TM). The newest generation of the company’s
reference flow continues the tradition of driving advances in design
methodology, addresses new design challenges of 28nm process technology and
delivers innovations to enable System-in-Package (SiP) design.
28nm Design Enablement
TSMC’s Open Innovation Platform (OIP) paves the way for EDA tools to be
ready for 28nm. OIP enables design and process technology co-optimization in the
early stage of RD, and ensures required EDA tool enhancements to happen
correctly and timely. Specifically for Reference Flow 10.0, TSMC went beyond
physical verification of DRC, LVS and extraction which heavily depend upon 28nm
process requirements, and engaged early with EDA partners to qualify their place
and route tools for TSMC 28nm.
System in Package (SiP)
System-on-Chip (SoC) has been the focus in the previous nine generations of the
TSMC Reference Flow starting in 2001. Reference Flow 10.0 introduces SiP design
solutions for the first time including SiP package design, electrical analysis
of package extraction, timing, signal integrity, IR drop, and thermal to
physical verification of DRC and LVS. These SiP technologies enable customers to
explore their implementation and integration strategies, realize end product
design and strengthen competitive advantages in terms of cost, performance, and
time-to-market.
Expanded EDA Collaboration
New to the flow is a RTL-to-GDSII chip implementation track from Mentor
Graphics, in support of customers’ EDA usage. Reference Flow 10.0 further
enables existing ecosystem partners Altos, Anova, Apache, Azuro, Cadence, CLK
DA, Extreme DA, Magma, Nannor, and Synopsys to bring EDA innovations to
customers through collaboration with TSMC.
Differentiated Features in Power, Performance and DFM
New low power features in Reference Flow 10.0 include support for pulsed latch,
a new low-power implementation scheme for power saving, and hierarchical low
power automation, multi-corner power/timing co-optimization, multi-corner low
power Clock Tree Synthesis (CTS), vectorless power analysis and more, enabling
more effective power-aware implementation and power analysis. To drive greater
performance, advanced stage-based On-Chip Variation (OCV) optimization and
analysis is made available for the first time, enabling customers to get a more
realistic look at timing for the purpose of removing redundant design margins. A
new electrical DFM feature is introduced for customers to take into
consideration the timing impact of silicon stress effect, thus helping to
increase yields.
About the Open Innovation Platform(TM)
The TSMC Open Innovation Platform (TM) promotes timeliness-driven innovation
among the semiconductor design community, ecosystem partners, and TSMC’s
complete portfolio. The Open Innovation Platform includes a set of ecosystem
interfaces and collaborative components initiated and supported by TSMC that
efficiently empowers innovation throughout the supply chain thereby enabling
creation and sharing of newly created revenue and profitability. TSMC’s
Active Accuracy Assurance (AAA) initiative is a critical part of the Open
Innovation Platform, providing the accuracy and quality required by ecosystem
interfaces and collaborative components.
About TSMC
TSMC is the world’s largest dedicated semiconductor foundry, providing
the industry’s leading process technology and the foundry’s largest
portfolio of process-proven libraries, IP, design tools and reference flows. The
Company’s total managed capacity in 2008 exceeded 9 million 8-inch
equivalent wafers, including capacity from two advanced 12-inch GigaFabs(TM),
four eight-inch fabs, one six-inch fab, as well as TSMC’s wholly-owned
subsidiaries, WaferTech and TSMC (China), and its joint venture fab, SSMC. TSMC
is the first foundry to provide 40nm production capabilities. Its corporate
headquarters are in Hsinchu, Taiwan. For more information about TSMC, please
visit http://www.tsmc.com.
SOURCE: TSMC
Wendy Matthews, +1-408-382-8030, wmatthews@tsmc.com, or Michael Kramer, +(886)
3-563-6688 x 7126216, pdkramer@tsmc.com, both of TSMC
Comments