TSMC expands advanced technology libraries, enhances distribution program to accellerate availability

Distribution Strategy Creates an Integrated Design Chain while Improving Designers' Library Choices

Dec. 10, 2002 - Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (NYSE: TSM) today announced the expansion of its library service by adding new classes of libraries for advanced product design and widening the distribution and support channel. The new library program provides both third-party and TSMC-developed libraries, which are tuned for a variety of process technologies including TSMC's most advanced NexsysSM 90 nanometer process for system-on-chip (SoC) design.

Under this new program, TSMC-brand I/O and standard cell libraries will be distributed by multiple third-party library and EDA tool partners, greatly enhancing customer service and support. Three generations of technology, i.e., 0.15-micron, 0.13-micron and 90nm, are covered by the new line of libraries. Also, the collaboration with EDA tools developers in this distribution/support program creates an integrated design chain that is expected to provide heightened levels of synergy, value-add and technical service to designers. As a result, this program will offer the widest variety of libraries in the industry including standard cell, I/O and memory tailored to TSMC's process technology. Multiple distribution and service partners of this program will be revealed in the next few weeks.

The first distribution partner under this new program is Virage Logic. This new arrangement allows Virage to offer a complete line of libraries (standard cell, I/O and memory). At the same time, the market enjoys better and more convenient services from Virage as a new comprehensive library distribution and service provider.

"Due to the complexity of advanced process technology and the attendant technical trade-offs to density, speed and power, there is no so-called optimal library that suits all the various applications areas, such as high speed GPUs or handheld PDAs," said TSMC Ed Chen, director of design & e-service, marketing division. "By providing multiple libraries, each optimized for different trade-offs, we can serve the design community far better."

TSMC Expanded Library Distribution and Service
TSMC's new library program provides a comprehensive, broadly available portfolio of both TSMC and third-party libraries that complement each other. The TSMC-branded libraries were developed synergistically by its internal R&D organization. The third-party libraries from library vendors such as Virage Logic and Artisan Components are concurrently developed with the TSMC's industry leading process technologies and verified through TSMC9000 qualification procedure. The expanded library service allows designers to enjoy more libraries each uniquely positioned for the target application and to receive better services due to the multiple providers.

TSMC Nexsys 90nm Libraries
TSMC's Nexsys 90nm libraries include standard cells and I/O cells with features for system-on-chip design, such as Dual-Threshold Power Tuning, which allows designers to integrate high-speed and low-leakage functionality on the same chip. The result is a new set of libraries that offers up to 50% performance improvement with half the area and half of the power consumption compared to 0.13-micron library.

"With the Nexsys 90nm library, TSMC is opening a door that has never been opened before, one that leads directly into our Research and Development programs for the most advanced process technologies in the industry," said Dr. Ping Yang, vice president of R&D at TSMC. "It provides designers with real tools that can be applied to advanced systems design, even as the processes are being developed. This is a powerful expansion of our partners' service offerings, as well as a new model for the distribution of TSMC-brand, process-tuned standard cell and I/O technology libraries."