Jazz Semiconductor, an independent wafer foundry focused primarily on specialty CMOS process technologies, and EDA giant Mentor Graphics Corp. have announced the availability of a series of technology design kits (TDKs) that support Jazz's silicon germanium (SiGe) and CMOS process technologies. The first set of TDKs that are immediately available support Jazz's 0.35 micron SiGe BiCMOS process (SBC35), its 0.18 micron SiGe BiCMOS process (SBC18), as well as 0.18 micron CMOS process (CA18HR). These production-ready and highly flexible TDKs enable IC design companies to rapidly set up their design environments using the Mentor Graphics' complete analog/mixed-signal (AMS) system-on-a-chip (SoC) design flow, reducing design time, increasing productivity, and ultimately helping shorten time-to-market, stated Mentor.

The comprehensive design kits include Jazz-supported Eldo simulation models, Calibre DRC, Calibre LVS and Calibre xRC technology files, schematic symbols for Design Architect-IC, programmable device generators to enable schematic-driven layout with IC station, process definition files, and all other configuration files necessary to effectively use Mentor's AMS design flow.

“As our customer base of IC design companies developing high-frequency wireless and high-speed networking products expands, we're witnessing increasing demand for process technologies optimized for these applications,” said Jue-Hsien Chern, vice president and general manager, deep submicron (DSM) division, Mentor Graphics. “Jazz Semiconductor's SiGe and CMOS processes are ideal for innovative, ultrahigh-performance applications and we're proud to be collaborating on design kits supporting our integrated mixed-signal design flow.”

While the SBC35 process is a mature, low power, cost-effective solution for net-working and wireless applications, the SBC18 process is aimed at ultralow-power and higher-speed integrated networking and wireless products. With the SBC35 TDK, process designers have the flexibility of using any combination of three SiGe bipolar (NPN) transistors, each of which provides a different optimization for power and speed in a 0.35-micron platform that also includes CMOS, deep trench isolation, lateral PNP transistors, MIM and MIS capacitors, high-performance varactors, poly and n-well resistors, and high-Q inductors. The SBC18 TDK comes standard with two SiGe bipolar (NPN) transistor types in a 0.18 micron platform that also includes CMOS, lateral and vertical PNP transistors, MIM capacitors, varactors, poly and n-well resistors, and high-Q inductors.

Likewise, CA18HR is an advanced 0.18 micron RF CMOS process that leverages a mixed-signal CMOS technology and robust RF modeling capability. This enables integration of RF circuit blocks with multimillion gate CMOS logic functions to create SoC chips. This process comes with 1.8 V and 3.3 V CMOS, lateral and vertical PNP, MIM capacitors, varactors, poly and n-well resistors, high-Q inductors, six layers of metal, using a thick top metal.

The Mentor TDKs also include advanced inductor layouts and model generation capabilities, which integrate Jazz's state-of-the-art inductor modeling capabilities with Mentor's IC station-based parameterized device layout generators. This enables users to quickly create and model complex correct-by-construction inductors in real time. The kits come with a feature-rich user interface linked directly to Jazz's proprietary inductor model library.

“This complete TDK for the Mentor IC flow, specifically the programmable device generators and associated Eldo models, will enable designers to leverage the full flexibility of our SiGe and RF CMOS processes,” said Marco Racanelli, vice president of technology and engineering at Jazz Semiconductor. “Our partnership with Mentor Graphics will provide value to our mutual customers who are on the cutting edge of high-performance, mixed-signal and RF designs.”

SBC35, SBC18 and CA18HR design kits are currently available to Jazz Semiconductor and Mentor Graphics customers, and can be requested directly from either company.

For more information, visit www.jazzsemiconductor.com and www.mentor.com.

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