1st Silicon Selects Artisan To Develop and Deliver 0.15-Micron Libraries; Agreement Expands Relationship to Offer Free IP Via Artisan Website

SUNNYVALE, Calif. & Kuching, Sarawak, MALAYSIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 9, 2003--Artisan Components, Inc., (Nasdaq: ARTI), a leading provider of semiconductor intellectual property (IP) and 1st Silicon (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Malaysia's premier wafer foundry, today announced an agreement for Artisan to develop and deliver its library products for 1st Silicon's advanced 0.15-micron CMOS process. The agreement extends the two companies' relationship and will provide licensed customers with the ability to download these products at no charge from Artisan's website.

Artisan's comprehensive set of IP products include memory generators for single- and dual-port SRAM, single- and two-port register files and diffusion programmable ROM. Additionally, Artisan's SAGE-X(TM) Standard Cell Library and general-purpose I/Os will also be developed. The libraries will be optimized for 1st Silicon's 0.15-micron design rules and characterized using the latest electrical models of 1st Silicon's process. The products will include Artisan's extensive set of views and models of the industry's leading EDA tools.

"This agreement signals 1st Silicon's commitment to broaden its technology and library portfolio," said Andrew V. Brown, vice-president of worldwide sales at 1st Silicon. "By furthering our relationship, 1st Silicon can offer a low-risk solution to customers who need to reduce costs for 0.18-micron designs but don't need the performance of the more expensive 0.13-micron process."

"1st Silicon is committed to providing market-driven technology solutions for design and manufacturing," said Neal Carney, vice president of marketing at Artisan. "We are pleased that 1st Silicon has selected Artisan again to develop IP optimized for its 0.15-micron process technology. We look forward to continuing our relationship and supporting our mutual customer base."

Product Availability

Availability for the front-end and complete views of Artisan's memory generators, SAGE-X Standard Cell Library and general-purpose I/Os will be announced in the second quarter of 2004. Designers interested in Artisan's 1st Silicon-based library products should contact 1st Silicon at www.1si.com or Artisan at www.artisan.com.

About 1st Silicon (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.

1st Silicon (1Si) is a dedicated semiconductor foundry founded in 1998 by the Malaysian State of Sarawak. 1Si's 200mm wafer fab has a capacity in excess of 40,000 wafers per month when fully ramped. The Company started volume production of 0.25-micron in 2001 and 0.18-micron in 2003 for digital and mixed-signal CMOS technologies. 1Si will be offering 0.25-micron embedded flash technology in 2004. 1Si's customers include integrated device manufacturers and fabless semiconductor companies from the U.S., Japan, Europe and Asia. The Company has its headquarters in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia, and a U.S. registered subsidiary corporation located in San Jose, California. More information is available on the Company's Web site at www.1si.com.

1Si's world headquarters is located at 1 Silicon Drive, Sama Jaya Free Industrial Zone, 93350 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. The Company can be reached by calling (T) +60 82 354 888 in Malaysia, or by calling the US office at (T) +1 408 943 8131.

About Artisan Components

Artisan Components, Inc. is a leading provider of physical intellectual property (IP) components for the design and manufacture of complex system-on-a-chip integrated circuits. Artisan's products include embedded memory, standard cell, input/output, analog and mixed-signal components, which are designed to achieve the best combination of performance, density, power and yield for a given manufacturing process. Artisan has licensed its IP components to over 1,000 companies involved in integrated circuit design. Artisan is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. More information about Artisan Components, including free library access, can be found at www.artisan.com.

Artisan Components and Artisan are registered trademarks and SAGE-X is a trademark of Artisan Components, Inc.

All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the announcement of the availability of Artisan's memory generators, SAGE-X Standard Cell Library and general-purpose I/Os in the second quarter of 2004. Actual results may differ materially, and Artisan disclaims any obligation to update or correct this information. Actual results may differ materially. These statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including whether there will be technical or other difficulties that delay the availability of the Artisan products identified above. We refer you also to the documents that the Company files from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, in particular the section entitled, "Factors Affecting Future Operating Results" in the Company's annual report on form 10-K and its quarterly reports on Forms 10-Q. Artisan disclaims any obligation to update or correct the information contained in this press release as a result of financial, business or any other developments occurring after the date of the release.