Collaboration Lowers Development Time and Cost Through Accurate Process
Modeling
SAN FRANCISCO, July 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- SEMICON WEST --
Mattson Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: MTSN), a leading supplier of advanced
semiconductor process equipment used to manufacture integrated circuits
(ICs), and Synopsys, Inc. (Nasdaq: SNPS), a world leader in software and IP
for semiconductor design and manufacturing, today announced a collaboration
to offer calibrated process models for flash annealing equipment used on
the 45-nanometer (nm) node and beyond. Through this collaboration,
Synopsys' Sentaurus Process models will be calibrated to the Mattson
Millios(TM) flash-assist Rapid Thermal Process (fRTP(TM)) system. As a
result, engineers will be able to simulate and optimize process conditions
before costly silicon processing, thus lowering development time and cost.
The continual scaling of CMOS technology demands new processing
techniques to meet the strict International Technology Roadmap for
Semiconductor (ITRS) targets for junction depth and sheet resistance in the
source and drain extensions of CMOS transistors -- one of the critical
device regions requiring precise process control. To meet this challenge,
Mattson has developed the Millios fRTP system, which features a powerful
flash lamp and highly accurate temperature control and monitoring that
allow engineers to optimize process conditions for simultaneous achievement
of shallow junction depth and low sheet resistance. The Millios system
combines high throughput, precise process control and process flexibility
to provide a high-volume IC manufacturing solution for milli-second
annealing.
Sentaurus Process is Synopsys' multi-dimensional process simulator that
is part of the TCAD Sentaurus suite. It is equipped with a set of advanced
process models that include default parameters calibrated with data from
equipment vendors and provides a predictive framework for simulating a
broad range of technologies from nanoscale CMOS to large-scale high-voltage
power devices. The combination of these technologies creates a powerful
solution for optimizing the flash-annealing process using the Millios fRTP
system.
"Process technologies are increasingly complex and costly to develop,
and therefore TCAD tools with models calibrated to specific process
conditions are very important to guide experimentation and process
optimization," said Howard Ko, senior vice president and general manager of
the Silicon Engineering Group at Synopsys. "Collaborations with leading
equipment vendors such as Mattson Technology are a critical component of
our strategy to deliver advanced and accurate TCAD tools to the market."
Jeff Gelpey, Mattson fellow, added, "Process development with advanced
tools such as Millios becomes very time consuming and expensive if done
only with experimentation. This collaboration between Synopsys and us
enables the use of Sentaurus TCAD in conjunction with models calibrated to
our equipment so that the development engineer can optimize the process
more quickly and explore many more options."
About Millios
In the nanotechnology era, where chips have features 1000 times smaller
than the diameter of a human hair, advanced RTP applications will require
annealing that is fractions of, to a few thousandths of, a second in
duration. Mattson's Millios Flash-Assist RTP (fRTP) is a next-generation
millisecond annealing tool featuring advanced process control and high
throughput to meet manufacturing and development needs. The technique
offers effective process times of 1-3 milliseconds. The system features a
patented arc lamp technology that processes the wafers through millisecond
"flashes" (similar to a camera flash), providing improved thermal control
for ultra-shallow junction (USJ) anneal and other advanced applications
through the 22 nm regime. Millios also combines fully automated wafer
handling hardware and software from Mattson's production-proven Helios(TM)
RTP system. Millios was qualified in 2007 by semiconductor and leading
nanoelectronics research centers in Europe and the United States.
About Mattson
Mattson Technology, Inc. is a leading supplier of dry strip equipment
and the second largest supplier of rapid thermal processing equipment in
the global semiconductor industry. The company's strip and RTP equipment
utilize innovative technology to deliver advanced processing performance
and productivity gains to semiconductor manufacturers worldwide for the
fabrication of current- and next-generation devices. For more information,
please contact Mattson Technology, Inc., 47131 Bayside Parkway, Fremont,
Calif. 94538. Telephone: (800) MATTSON/(510) 657-5900. Fax: (510) 492-5911.
Internet: http://www.mattson.com.
About Synopsys TCAD
Technology CAD (TCAD) refers to the use of computer simulation to model
semiconductor processing and device operation. TCAD provides insight into
the fundamental physical phenomena that ultimately impacts performance and
yield.
About Synopsys
Synopsys, Inc. (Nasdaq: SNPS) is a world leader in electronic design
automation (EDA), supplying the global electronics market with the
software, intellectual property (IP) and services used in semiconductor
design and manufacturing. Synopsys' comprehensive, integrated portfolio of
implementation, verification, IP, manufacturing and field-programmable gate
array (FPGA) solutions helps address the key challenges designers and
manufacturers face today, such as power and yield management,
system-to-silicon verification and time-to-results. These
technology-leading solutions help give Synopsys customers a competitive
edge in bringing the best products to market quickly while reducing costs
and schedule risk. Synopsys is headquartered in Mountain View, California,
and has more than 60 offices located throughout North America, Europe,
Japan, Asia and India. Visit Synopsys online at http://www.synopsys.com/.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the
meaning of the safe harbor provisions of Section 21E of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, including statements regarding the expected benefits
and results of the collaboration, on advanced TCAD process simulation of
CMOS technology, between Synopsys and Mattson. These statements are based
on Synopsys' and Mattson's current expectations and beliefs. Actual results
could differ materially from these statements as a result of unforeseen
difficulties in completing the collaboration and the other factors
contained in Synopsys' Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter
ended April 30, 2008 and Mattson's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the
fiscal quarter ended March 30, 2008.
Synopsys is a registered trademark of Synopsys, Inc. fRTP, Millios and
Helios are trademarks of Mattson Technology, Inc. Any other trademarks or
registered trademarks mentioned in this release are the intellectual property
of their respective owners.
Editorial Contacts:
Sheryl Gulizia
Synopsys, Inc.
650-584-8635
sgulizia@synopsys.com
Lisa Gillette-Martin
MCA, Inc.
650-968-8900 x115
lgmartin@mcapr.com
Jeff Gelpey
Mattson Technology, Inc.
510-492-2765
Jeff.Gelpey@mattson.com
Laura Guerrant
Guerrant Associates
808-882-1467
lguerrant@guerrantir.com
SOURCE Synopsys, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.synopsys.com
http://www.mattson.com
CONTACT:
Sheryl Gulizia of Synopsys, Inc.,
+1-650-584-8635, sgulizia@synopsys.com; or Jeff Gelpey of Mattson
Technology, Inc., +1-510-492-2765, Jeff.Gelpey@mattson.com; or
Lisa Gillette-Martin of MCA, Inc., +1-650-968-8900, ext. 115,
lgmartin@mcapr.com; or Laura Guerrant of Guerrant Associates,
+1-808-882-1467, lguerrant@guerrantir.com, both for Synopsys,
Inc.
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