PolarFab Delivers Silvaco Process Design Kits for Power Device Process

Bloomington MN and Santa Clara CA, May 30th, 2003

PolarFab, a U.S.-based pure-play semiconductor foundry and Silvaco, a leading vendor of electronic design automation (EDA) software, announced today the availability of process design kits (PDKs) for PolarFab’s BP30 30V complementary bipolar process supporting Silvaco circuit simulation and custom IC CAD tools.

“The Silvaco custom IC CAD design tools provide a solid platform for our customers to design power IC’s with Polarfab’s BP30 process,'' said Steve Kosier, vice president of engineering, PolarFab. ”This process design kit includes parameterized cells for all active and passive components to increase the productivity of analog designers. Silvaco DRC and LVS rule decks support the wide variety of circuit elements required for analog IC power applications.''
“We appreciate Polarfab supporting our design flow with complete process design kits,” said Mike Wilson, vice president of Telecom and Computing Products, Power Management at Semtech. “With these foundry supported PDKs, we are seeing immediate productivity from our engineers in design entry, simulation, and design verification, shortening our design to tapeout cycle”.
“PolarFab is a recognized leader in analog and mixed-signal IC foundry with its bipolar and BiCMOS processes for well over a quarter of a century,” said Kenneth Brock, vice president of marketing for Silvaco. “With the delivery of Silvaco PDKs, PolarFab demonstrates again its broad support of customers’ choice in industry-leading EDA design tools.”

PolarFab offers a broad range of high performance bipolar and BiCMOS processes and wafer manufacturing technologies for analog and mixed-signal products. Geometries range from 1.25-micron to 4-micron for bipolar processes and from 0.35-micron to 1.5-micron for BiCMOS and DMOS processes.
Silvaco analog design kits enable designers to exploit the capabilities of PolarFab’s advanced semiconductor processes in the early design stages. Accurate and reliable SPICE parameters and models are the first and most critical step to achieving first-time correct silicon, shorter design times, optimum semiconductor performance, lower development costs, reduced risks and ultimately faster time to market. Schematic symbols, rule files and layout technology files enable immediate designer productivity when using a new silicon process.

The kit, which includes SmartSpice™ models, Scholar™ schematic symbols, Guardian™ DRC and LVS rule decks, and parameterized cells for the PolarFab BP30 bipolar process, is available from PolarFab. Design kits for PBC4, PolarFab's premier process for power management applications combining BiCMOS and DMOS, are in beta test and will be released in July, 2003.

About PolarFab

PolarFab, based in Minnesota, is the only U.S.-owned, pure-play foundry in the country. The company offers a broad range of bipolar and BiCMOS wafer manufacturing processes, along with testing and failure analysis services for analog/mixed-signal communications and smart power ICs. Its fabrication facility has been in operation for more than 30 years, and with a recent expansion is now running both six-inch and eight-inch lines. PolarFab offers a proven outstanding customer service record, along with the leading technologies required to meet or exceed its customers' time-to-volume needs. For more information call 1-800-882-3472 or visit the company online at www.polarfab.com.

About Semtech

Semtech Corporation (Nasdaq: SMTC) is a leading supplier of analog and mixed-signal semiconductor products for use in communications, portable devices, computers, and industrial equipment. Semtech Corporation designs, manufacturers and markets an ever-widening range of analog and mixed-signal semiconductor products. We are dedicated to providing our customers with proprietary solutions and breakthrough technology in power management, protection, advanced communications, human interface devices and high-speed test and clocking products. The Company's integrated circuits (ICs), discrete and assembly products are used in communications, computer and computer-peripheral, video, automated test equipment, and other commercial and military applications.

For more information please contact:

Laura Carlson
Product Marketing Manager
PolarFab
952-876-3350
Carlsonl@polarfab.com

Silvaco
408-654-4392