First HIT-Kit for 0.35µm High-Voltage CMOS process supports Mentor’s latest ICstudio™ environment for unified mixed-signal design and robust data management

austriamicrosystems’ Full Service Foundry business unit today announced the availability of its new analog/mixed-signal high performance technology design kit ("HIT-Kit") for its advanced 0.35µm technologies. The new design environment based on the latest version of Mentor Graphics® IC Flow 2005.1 includes the high performance 0.35µm process technologies C35 (mixed-signal CMOS), S35 (SiGe-BiCMOS) and H35 (High-Voltage CMOS).

The new Mentor HIT-Kit for the first time includes austriamicrosystems’ advanced 0.35µm High-Voltage CMOS process (H35) and supports Mentor’s new ICstudio™ environment for developing and managing complex analog mixed-signal IC designs. A set of very accurate circuit simulation models for high-voltage devices that account for parasitic effects and Safe Operating Area checks, layout generators for high-voltage devices and special layout verification utilities like leakage check, complete the easy to use design kit that enables foundry customers to create robust analog/high-voltage product designs.

“Our close cooperation with Mentor Graphics simplified the perfect integration of our advanced 0.35µm technologies into the new ICstudio™ environment”, comments Thomas Riener, Director Marketing of austriamicrosystems’ Full Service Foundry business unit. “In particular, our High-Voltage CMOS process in combination with an easy to use design environment enables foundry customers to create first time right designs and reduce time to market.”

“These HIT-Kits are unique in that they combine the process expertise of austriamicrosystems’ with the tool expertise of Mentor to provide highly accurate, usable, complete, and production-ready design kits,” noted Jue-Hsien Chern, vice president and general manager of the deep submicron division of Mentor Graphics. “Further, since these kits work with our latest analog/mixed-signal IC Flow release based on the ICstudio™ environment, current and future customers alike can leverage our new capabilities for more robust and consistent management of design data across multiple sites.”

Design Kit Details
The new Mentor HIT-Kit v3.70 contains a complete set of fully silicon-qualified standard cells, periphery cells and general purpose analog cells such as comparators, operational amplifiers, low power A/D and D/A converters necessary to rapidly get designs off the ground using Mentor Graphics new IC Flow environment based on ICstudio™. Custom analog and RF devices, physical verification rule sets for Calibre® DRC/LVS and device models for Calibre xRC, as well as excellent characterized circuit simulation models enable rapid design starts of complex high performance mixed-signal ICs.

All I/O structures within the design kit are silicon-validated and meet the military ESD and JEDEC latch-up standards with I/O pads designed to surpass 2kV HBM and 250mA latch-up immunity. In C35 technology the total I/O libraries consist of more than 1800 cells supporting 3.3V and 3.3V/5V designs. The specialty High-Voltage CMOS process H35 with its floating libraries even includes more than 2400 core and periphery cells. More details about the Mentor-based HIT-Kit can be found at http://www.mentor.com/products/ams_kits.cfm and at http://asic.austriamicrosystems.com/hitkit/index.html

About austriamicrosystems
austriamicrosystems’ business unit Full Service Foundry has successfully positioned itself in the mixed-signal foundry market offering well-established RF CMOS, High-Voltage CMOS, BiCMOS and SiGe-BiCMOS processes. With superior support during the design phase, with high-end tools and experienced engineers, austriamicrosystems succeeds to be an attractive analog/mixed-signal foundry partner especially for fabless design houses.

austriamicrosystems is a leading designer and manufacturer of high performance analog ICs, combining more than 20 years of analog design capabilities and system know-how with its own state-of-the-art manufacturing and test facilities. austriamicrosystems leverages its expertise in low power and high accuracy to provide industry-leading customized and standard analog products. Operating worldwide with more than 800 employees, austriamicrosystems focuses on the areas of power management, sensors & sensor interfaces, portable audio and car access through its business units Communications, Industry & Medical, Automotive and Full Service Foundry. austriamicrosystems is listed on the SWX Swiss Exchange in Zurich (ticker symbol: AMS).