Product category: Design and Development Software
News Release from: Mentor Graphics UK | Subject: Calibre Fracturem and Calibre MDPview
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial Team on 12 March 2002
Data preparation software
aids mask accuracy
Mentor Graphics has released the first software solutions in the Calibre mask data preparation (MDP) product line, the Calibre Fracturem and Calibre MDPview tools
The MDP software performs geometry processing and then converts IC layout directly into mask writer formats. The tool suite ensures time to market and optimal capital equipment usage for mask manufacturers and semiconductor companies by enabling mask writers to maintain current performance levels even as gate count and design sizes continue to grow.
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 12 March 2002 at 8.00am (UK)
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Integrated with Calibre's industry-standard physical verification and manufacturability tools, such as DRC and OPC, MDP completes the Calibre layout-to-silicon product offering.
Calibre Fracturem converts data into the MEBES format and Calibre MDPview enables designers to view GDSII data and the final converted files.
Additional mask writer formats, particularly vector-shaped beam formats, and inspection formats will be supported in the coming months.
As process technologies shrink and ever more aggressive resolution enhancement techniques (RET) become necessary, tape-out groups and mask manufacturers face huge growth in data volumes and computing times.
If hierarchically processed data are flattened very early in order to be prepared for export, data volumes can explode by a factor of 10 or more.
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This causes extended data processing and increased mask-writing times, ultimately hurting capital equipment usage for mask shops.
Added on to the Calibre verification and RET tools, Calibre MDP allows the design data to stay in hierarchy as long as possible to enable a single, continuous flow from tape-out to mask writer data, eliminating the need for interfaces and multiple transformations of the data.
"DuPont Photomasks is committed to working on unique approaches that help our customers reduce cycle times and costs.
Retaining mask data hierarchy as long as possible is one way of doing that as it provides for more efficient operation of our software and production equipment", said Paul Chipman, executive vice president development products group of DuPont Photomasks.
"Our joint development work with Mentor Graphics on these new Calibre products has produced very encouraging results, as these tools are expected to help streamline our data flow to accommodate the needs of the most advanced semiconductor designs".
"Traditional fracturing tools lack hierarchy and geometry processing speed, capacity and flexibility", said Joseph Sawicki, general manager of the Calibre division of Mentor Graphics.
"Calibre is the only product that has the hierarchical processing power to process information to the mask writers in such a way that they can still keep turn-around time efficient even as data volumes continue to grow".
Mask shops began incorporating Calibre for geometric processing in 1999.
Built on Calibre's best-in-class hierarchical engine, which uses proven database algorithms to preserve hierarchy as long as possible, Calibre physical verification, RET and MDP tools process GDSII files with mask-specific instructions.
This keeps data sizes from exploding and avoids the long run-times experienced by traditional tools, which require additional steps as they convert to closed, proprietary formats prior to exporting the data to mask writer formats.
Calibre MDP tools enable geometry-processing steps such as layer derivation, boolean layer operations, sising, mask-tone reversal, mirroring and planarisation fill, which are far more efficiently processed in open, standard hierarchical design formats, such as GDSII.
Increasingly, mask writer equipment is directly accepting GDSII input.
Once design data have been converted to the mask writer format, it is important to evaluate the compliance of a data set against mask making constraints prior to manufacturing.
Calibre's verification capability allows it to conduct the necessary mask rule checks in the same run.
Using Calibre RVE, Calibre's results viewing environment tool, mask rule violations can be visualised in the output file.
This allows for quick assessment of problem areas and prevents breakdowns in the mask-making process.
In addition, Calibre's mask proximity correction (MPC) functionality enables the correction of proximity distortions with rules-based corrections as needed.
Calibre Fracturem is Calibre MDP's fracturing export utility for the MEBES format in both modes 4 and 5.
Based on nine months of intensive beta testing at DuPont PhotoMask and semiconductor customer sites, Calibre has demonstrated its proven data integrity in this space.
Calibre MDPview is a convenient editor and GDSII and MEBES viewer with a friendly graphical user interface that allows for a visual review and basic editing of the incoming GDSII data at any stage of the process, as well as the final viewing of converted files.
By invoking Calibre RVE with Calibre MDPview, all mask rule checking (MRC) violations are highlighted and easily viewed.
Once verified, the converted files are ready for use.
The complete Calibre MDP tool suite includes: Calibre DRC and Calibre DRC-H for design rule and hierarchical rule checking including mask rule checking (MRC) and rules based mask proximity corrections (MPC) as user programmable capabilities; Calibre RVE, results viewing environment for viewing mask rule checking results; Calibre Fracturem for creating the MEBES format output; and Calibre MDPview for a visual verification of GDSII and the converted data prior to export.
Pricing for the Calibre mask data preparation products begins at $39,500.
Calibre DRC, DRC-H and Calibre RVE tools are available now.
Calibre Fracturem and Calibre MDPview for MEBES will be available in mid-Q2, 2002.
Support of vector-shaped beam mask writer formats is expected later in 2002. Request a free brochure from Mentor Graphics UK....
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