HeJian Technology and Artisan Collaborate to Deliver 0.18-Micron Process IP Solutions

Agreement Gives Mutual Customers Access to Leading IP When Using HeJian's Advanced Processes

SUNNYVALE, Calif. & SUZHOU, China--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 20, 2004 -- Artisan Components, Inc., (Nasdaq:ARTI), a leading provider of physical intellectual property (IP), and HeJian Technology (Suzhou) Co., Ltd., one of China's leading foundry service providers, today announced a license agreement for Artisan to support HeJian's advanced 0.18-micron CMOS process. The agreement provides for the development of IP products by Artisan for use by designers developing IC products for manufacture using HeJian's advanced 0.18-micron processes.

HeJian Technology was founded in November 2001 and is a member of the China Semiconductor Committee. Its first wafer pilot run and initial capacity ramp up was in March 2003, with 200mm wafers delivered in May of the same year. The company offers a wide range of process technologies including 0.5-micron non-volatile memory, 0.35 to 0.18-micron logic and mixed signal, 0.35 to 0.25-micron high voltage and 0.35-micron flash memory. HeJian is now in volume production for 0.25- and 0.18-micron products with world-class yield. Manufacturing capacity currently exceeds 25,000 wafers per month.

The Artisan IP products licensed to HeJian include advanced memory generators for single- and dual-port SRAM, as well as Artisan's SAGE-X(TM) Standard Cell Library and general-purpose I/O cells. The 0.18-micron IP conforms to the Artisan design standard including Artisan's extensive set of views and models in support of industry leading EDA tools. Additionally, the agreement provides for Artisan to distribute HeJian-based IP under its Access Library Program on a worldwide basis at no charge to licensed design teams.

"Artisan is a recognized leader in providing silicon-proven IP solutions that have a track record for quality, performance and ease-of-use," said Terry Tsao, vice-president of marketing and sales division, HeJian. "Artisan's leading-edge IP technology coupled with its worldwide user base make Artisan an ideal choice for HeJian as we continue to strengthen our design related support for our growing customer base."

"HeJian has emerged as one of China's formidable foundry providers and is preparing itself to further take advantage of the country's tremendous market potential," said Mark Templeton, president and chief executive officer of Artisan. "We are pleased HeJian's advanced 0.18-micron process technology will benefit from Artisan's IP solutions and we look forward to working with HeJian to help ensure the best possible results for our mutual customers' design-to-silicon requirements."

Product Availability

Front-end and complete views of Artisan's memory generators, SAGE-X Standard Cell Library and general-purpose I/O cells for HeJian's 0.18-micron process are expected to be available on Artisan's website for licensed design teams to download at no charge in the fourth quarter of 2004.

About HeJian

HeJian Technology (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. (www.hjtc.com.cn) is a leading pure-play foundry service provider with a focus on the production of logic, mixed-signal, high-voltage, non-volatile embedded memory and SRAM semiconductors using CMOS technology. Its processes range from 0.18-micron to 0.5-micron feature sizes. The company targets the communications, computing, and consumer markets shipped in China. It has been certificated ISO/TS 16949:2002 and Customer Specific Requirements Semiconductor Commodity in June, 2004.

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. Artisan has licensed its IP components to over 2,000 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.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding the availability, features and performance of Artisan's products for HeJian's 0.18-micron processes, statements regarding the HeJian's impact on the worldwide market for integrated circuits, statements regarding growth in HeJian's customer base and statements regarding the potential of China's markets. These statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, technical or other difficulties that delay or prevent the availability of such 0.18-micron library products or otherwise affect the performance of such products; and market acceptance of such 0.18-micron library products. We refer you also to the documents that Artisan files from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in particular the section entitled "Factors Affecting Future Operating Results" in Artisan's annual report on Form 10-K and its quarterly reports on Forms 10-Q.

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.