Jul 24, 2008 According to Dr. Jae Song, utive vice president of marketing at Dongbu HiTek, �We're very happy with the results of our partnership with Mentor Consulting. The results of this engagement have enabled Dongbu HiTek to substantially accelerate time-to- mass production for its customers. For example, we can accomplish the OPC flow for a 110 nanometer multi project wafer in two days compared to ten days before this engagement. For a chip requiring several respins, faster OPC TAT can accelerate mass production by more than 30 days. Mentor Consulting completed the engagement on time, and the OPC TAT improvements of 50 to 80 percent exceeded our expectations.�
Dongbu HiTek, headquartered in Seoul, Korea, provides wafer processing supported by comprehensive design support (IP and design libraries), prototype development and verification, and packaging and module development that add high value to display and various mobile applications.
The four month project, which started in March 2008, included migrating Dongbu HiTek to the latest release of the Calibre OPC and OPCverify products to take full advantage of new tool capabilities. Mentor Consulting also implemented its RET/MDP optimization methodology to improve Dongbu HiTek's overall RET/MDP flow to achieve faster turnaround while maintaining accurate OPC models and recipes, validated by mask quality and pattern fidelity measurements. During the engagement, Mentor Consulting also transferred best practices for achieving optimal flow performance to the Dongbu HiTek team to enable them to make future optimizations and to adapt to evolving process requirements.
�Mentor Graphics operates on the 'partnership principle,' providing both technologies and methodologies tailored to the needs of our customers,� said Paul Hofstadler, vice president of Worldwide Consulting at Mentor Graphics. �We place emphasis on finishing our tasks on time and within budget, and on sharing knowledge with our customers regarding how the improvements were accomplished and what further optimizations might be possible in the future. We are already providing services below 32nm, so Mentor Consulting is our customers' preferred choice when they are ready to move to the next technology node, or to optimize their existing tape-to-mask flow.�
About Calibre OPC Products
The Calibre OPC product is a full-chip, lithography correction tool used to create mask layers in preparation for wafer fabrication. The software enables complete simulation of the photolithographic manufacturing process and outputs modified layout shapes for mask making to enable pattern resolution in sub-wavelength photolithographic processes. It is fully integrated into the Calibre physical verification and design-for-manufacturing (DFM) platform, enabling completely integrated processing in a single batch run, from design tapeout through fracturing for mask making.
The Calibre OPCverify product is a post-OPC verification tool used to detect systematic yield loss problems before a design is sent to the mask or wafer manufacturer. The Calibre OPCverify solution checks every element and contour, not just edges, for critical failure detection and full process window prediction. It also enables users to optimize their OPC models and recipes during technology development. High scalability and integration with the Calibre platform ensure fast turn-around-time for all mask verification
operations.
About Mentor Consulting
Mentor Consulting is an expert in electronic design automation infrastructure and methodology, and is the only service partner in the industry that invests specifically in the transfer of knowledge to its customers. Every consultant is chartered with improving customer proficiency in the methodologies and technologies employed in an engagement, while concurrently achieving customer objectives. Mentor Consulting solutions for silicon yield enhancement, verification, data management, cabling, and system design are used worldwide by forward-looking electronics companies to optimize design productivity and advance adoption of the latest industry design best practices. For more information, e-mail Mentor Consulting at mentor_consulting@mentor.com or visit http://www.mentor.com/consulting.
About Mentor Graphics
Mentor Graphics Corporation (NASDAQ: MENT) is a world leader in electronic hardware and software design solutions, providing products, consulting services and award-winning support for the world's most successful electronics and semiconductor companies. Established in 1981, the company reported revenues over the last 12 months of over $850 million and employs approximately 4,200 people worldwide. Corporate headquarters are located at 8005 S.W. Boeckman Road, Wilsonville, Oregon 97070-7777. World Wide Web site: http://www.mentor.com/.
