Date: 09/12/2011

28nm physical verfication tool from Synopsys is now certified by globalfoundries

Synopsis got its IC design physical verification tool called 'IC Validator' certified by semiconductor foundry service provider globalfoundries for 28nm node.

Design rule checks (DRC) and layout-versus-schematic (LVS) runsets to GLOBALFOUNDRIES customers are made immediately available. Synopsys says its tools catch up bug in the early stage to help VLSI design engineers to save time in place and route.

28nm is becoming bigger than what industry has thought and is expected to drive the semiconductor market in 2012 in a big way. TSMC is racing in providing its customers with 28nm chips. Globalfoundries is also racing to catch up. Its vey costy race in fab business. Time is critical factor of success and so is the software tools to design and make chips.

Another popular chip design software vendor Magma is offering products which can design chips fast at 2xnm nodes. Synopsys is now in the process of acaquiring Magma , giving Synopsys an edge over its competitors in delivering fast performance tools.

Synoysys says it IC Validator utilizes its scalable hybrid data and command-processing engine to offer a powerful platform for coding and validating the complex polygon and edge-based rules required for emerging process nodes. It enables coding at higher levels of abstraction, automating tedious lower-level data processing.