NEC Electronics Selects Synopsys' Star-RCXT for 90 Nanometer Cell-Based LSI Design; Market-Leading Parasitic Extraction Tool Delivers High Accuracy for Fine Copper Process

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 8, 2003--Synopsys, Inc. (Nasdaq:SNPS), the world leader in semiconductor design software, today announced that NEC Electronics Corporation has adopted Star-RCXT(TM) for its 90 nanometer CB-90 design flow. Star-RCXT's industry-first support for advanced copper features enables NEC Electronics to meet timing and signal integrity sign-off accuracy goals for designs using their 90-nanometer process. Star-RCXT is a key component of Synopsys' Galaxy(TM) Design Platform and provides implementation and sign-off extraction with support for a broad array of process technologies and design styles.

NEC Electronics' CB-90 ASIC design platform utilizes its most advanced system LSI process technology, supporting clock speeds up to one gigahertz (1 GHz) and featuring up to 100 million usable gates. CB-90 provides leading-edge process technology for next-generation ASIC devices for low-power, high-performance applications such as broadband communications equipment, high-end computing and storage systems, and mobile computing devices.

"For designs utilizing our CB-90 process, we required comprehensive support for advanced fine copper process characteristics during extraction," stated Toshiyuki Saito, department manager, High-end Design Technology Development Group of the Technology Foundation Development Division, NEC Electronics Corporation. "We selected Synopsys as co-development partner of our standard sign-off extraction for 90 nanometer cell-based designs because Synopsys' Star-RCXT delivers the high performance and capacity for our requirements. Star-RCXT also achieves high accuracy with our RC modeling methodology."

NEC Electronics Corporation and Synopsys collaborated to improve Star-RCXT's advanced interconnection modeling technology for CB-90's fine copper process features, which includes spacing, width and metal density-dependent wire resistance and capacitance calculation. Accurate modeling of width and thickness variations within 90 nanometer designs that use copper-based wiring is essential for high accuracy timing and signal integrity sign-off analysis.

"We partner with leading semiconductor companies to ensure that Star-RCXT continues to address the challenges of advanced process technologies," said Antun Domic, senior vice president and general manager, Implementation Group at Synopsys. "NEC Electronics' adoption of Star-RCXT for its advanced 90 nanometer process further demonstrates that our focus on industry-leading research and development meets the most critical needs of our customers."

Star-RCXT provides the extraction backbone used for implementation and sign-off within Synopsys' Galaxy Design Platform for full-chip cell-based and transistor-level applications. According to Dataquest, Star-RCXT has been ranked as the number one parasitic extraction tool for the past five years.

About Galaxy Design Platform

The Galaxy Design Platform is an open, integrated design implementation platform with best-in-class tools, enabling advanced semiconductor design. Anchored by Synopsys' industry-leading semiconductor implementation tools and the open Milkyway(TM) database, the Galaxy Design Platform incorporates consistent timing, signal integrity (SI) analysis, common libraries, delay calculation, and constraints from RTL all the way to silicon. The Galaxy Design Platform helps reduce design time, decreases integration costs and minimizes the risks inherent in advanced, complex semiconductor design.

About Synopsys

Synopsys, Inc. (Nasdaq:SNPS) is the world leader in electronic design automation (EDA) software for semiconductor design. The company delivers technology-leading semiconductor design and verification platforms to the global electronics market, enabling the development of complex systems-on-chips (SoCs). Synopsys also provides intellectual property and design services to simplify the design process and accelerate time-to-market for its customers. Synopsys is headquartered in Mountain View, Calif., and has offices in more than 60 locations throughout North America, Europe, Japan and Asia. Visit Synopsys online at http://www.synopsys.com.

Synopsys and the Synopsys logo are registered trademarks of Synopsys, Inc., and Galaxy, Milkyway and Star-RCXT are trademarks of Synopsys, Inc. All other trademarks or registered trademarks mentioned in this release are the intellectual property of their respective owners.

CONTACT: Synopsys, Inc.
             Robert Smith, 650-584-1261
             rsmith@synopsys.com
             or
             Edelman
             Sarah Seifert, 650-968-4033
             sarah.seifert@edelman.com