Mentor Graphics tools fully enabled on Intel's 14nm processes

USA: Mentor Graphics Corp. and Intel Corp. announced that Mentor's circuit simulation and sign-off tools are fully enabled for Intel's 14nm Tri-Gate process technology for customers of Intel Custom Foundry.

Mentor and Intel Custom Foundry are providing models and rule decks for circuit simulation, design rule checking (DRC) and layout vs. schematic checking (LVS) for mobile and cloud infrastructure applications. Current collaboration efforts have resulted in a 2X speed up in full chip Calibre DRC verification run times. Readiness of the Mentor's baseline circuit simulation and sign-off tools on Intel Custom Foundry 14nm design platform provides customers with access to Intel's 14nm technology and Mentor's simulation and verification tools.

Intel Custom Foundry has created design platforms on 14nm and 22nm on Intel's Tri-Gate process technology. Intel's 14nm process technology uses the second generation of 3-D Tri-Gate transistors. These Tri-Gate transistors enable chips to operate at lower voltage with lower leakage, providing an unprecedented combination of improved performance and energy efficiency compared to planar transistors. The platform capabilities give chip designers the flexibility to choose transistors targeted for low power or high performance, depending on the application.

"We are very happy to be working with Mentor Graphics to ensure that a full suite of simulation and verification solutions are in place and optimized for our 14nm processes," said Venkat Immaneni, senior director of Foundry Design Kit Enablement at Intel Custom Foundry. "This means our mutual customers can use the tools they have in place and are comfortable with, while taking advantage of Intel's process leadership."

The Analog FastSPICE circuit simulator for nanometer analog, mixed-signal and RF verification delivers foundry-certified SPICE accuracy and industry-leading performance, capacity and device noise analysis. The Calibre nmDRC and Calibre nmLVS platforms help teams optimize their designs to meet process requirements, providing industry-leading cycle time and physical verification accuracy. Customers are now able to apply these differentiated capabilities to designs targeted on Intel Custom Foundry's design platform.

"We're pleased to formally announce our collaboration with Intel Custom Foundry," said Michael Buehler-Garcia, senior director of Marketing for Calibre Design Solutions at Mentor Graphics. "Our goal is to give fabless semiconductor companies the ability to fully optimize their designs to leverage all the features that Intel's 14nm process provides."