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Product Briefing Outline: Brion Technologies, an ASML company, has introduced Tachyon Lithography Aware Design (LAD), an extension of the company's Tachyon suite for optical proximity correction (OPC) verification and OPC application. Tachyon LAD is intended to assist designers of advanced ICs in the ability to accurately assess how circuit designs will print on silicon under real-world production conditions.

Problem: Tachyon LAD analyzes standard GDSII data and models how the lithography process will reproduce a design on silicon, eliminating the need for EDA vendors to develop new software tools or become experts in the manufacturing process. Tachyon LAD works with existing manufacturing processes and flows, so there is no need to calibrate new models to drive the process.

Solution: Tachyon LAD uses the same production-proven lithography analysis capability found in Tachyon Lithography Manufacturability Check (LMC), and the process-calibrated OPC technology found in Tachyon OPC+. Tachyon LAD is based on existing, proven models, allowing for faster startup time and reduced overall cost of ownership when compared with other approaches that require new model development.

Applications: Lithography-driven challenges at the 45nm and 32nm nodes.

Platform: Brion is offering Tachyon LAD through its initial EDA partners Cadence Design Systems Inc., Magma Design Automation Inc. and TOOL Corp.

Availability: July 2007 onwards.