UMC Selects Barcelona to Provide Analog Synthesis Solutions

Update: Barcelona has been bought by Synopsys

Barcelona to supply synthesizable Phase-Locked Loop (PLL) and Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) solutions on UMC processes

Newark, Calif., July 23, 2003 - Barcelona Design Inc., the leading provider of analog synthesis solutions, today announced a strategic partnership with UMC, a world leading semiconductor foundry, to develop synthesizable PLL and ADC solutions targeted at UMC's leading edge process technologies, including 0.18um, 0.15um and 0.13um. The partnership will not only result in a collaborative effort to align product roadmaps based on customer needs, but will also enable UMC to rapidly provide customized analog circuits to qualified customers using Barcelona's synthesis solutions.

"We are very pleased to extend our relationship with Barcelona. Barcelona has the only solution that enables analog IP to be made rapidly portable and reusable," said Dr. Jackson Hu, CEO of UMC. "By bringing these unique capabilities to UMC, we will now be able to provide the analog IP flexibility desired by our customers without compromising time-to-market or performance."

Barcelona has proven its technology with numerous tape outs in a broad range of process technologies. As demand for Barcelona's solution escalates, the company is forming strategic alliances with leading semiconductor-manufacturing partners to ensure deployment and access to this revolutionary technology by all market segments.

"We look forward to building a comprehensive portfolio of synthesizable analog solutions on UMC processes," said Thomas Heydler, president and CEO of Barcelona. "We are very excited that UMC has selected our solutions to dramatically broaden analog IP available to our mutual customers. This strategic partnership with an industry leader like UMC validates our solutions for increasingly demanding SoC products."

About UMC
UMC (NYSE: UMC, TSE: 2303) is a leading global semiconductor foundry that manufactures advanced process ICs for applications spanning every major sector of the semiconductor industry. UMC delivers cutting-edge foundry technologies that enable sophisticated system-on-chip (SOC) designs, including 90nm copper, 0.13um copper, embedded DRAM, and mixed signal/RFCMOS. UMC is also a leader in 300mm manufacturing; Fab 12A in Taiwan is currently in volume production for a variety of customer products, while the Singapore-based UMCi joint venture with Infineon Technologies will begin pilot production later this year. UMC employs over 8,500 people worldwide and has offices in Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, Europe, and the United States. UMC can be found on the web at http://www.umc.com.

About Barcelona Design, Inc.
Barcelona Design is the leading supplier of analog synthesis solutions to semiconductor and systems companies worldwide. Barcelona's synthesis technology significantly reduces design and ownership costs, dramatically reduces time to market and consistently improves return on assets for analog and mixed-signal circuits. Barcelona's solution is based on a unique and revolutionary technology that replaces trial-and-error manual simulation methods commonly used today with specification-driven synthesis. The company has proven its technology with working silicon on numerous foundry and proprietary processes. Its customers include Analog Devices, Matsushita, MediaQ, STMicroelectronics and Toshiba. Barcelona was founded in 1999 and has secured financing from Sequoia Capital, Foundation Capital and Crosslink Capital. The firm is headquartered in Newark, CA. For more information please visit www.barcelonadesign.com.