University spinout signs licensing deal with major semiconductor foundry
Published: 24 July 2014
A University spinout company which has developed technology to tackle the increasing challenges of silicon chip development has signed a multimillion dollar deal with a major semiconductor foundry.
A University of Glasgow spinout company which has developed technology to tackle the increasing challenges of silicon chip development has signed a multimillion dollar deal with a major semiconductor foundry.
Gold Standard Simulations Ltd. (GSS) today announced a multi-million dollar contract to license its complete TCAD/EDA tool suite to GLOBALFOUNDRIES.
GSS launched in 2010 to commercialise two decades of research and development by the University’s Professor Asen Asenov and supported by more than £30m in grant funding from the EPSRC and EU.
Today, GSS operates on a global scale and contributes to the trade export goals of the Scottish and UK governments. More than 90% of GSS’ turnover is generated through export of software licences and service contracts to major semiconductor players in US, Europe and Asia.
The GSS tool suite provides licensees with cutting-edge software tools capable of simulating and predicting the effectiveness of new efforts to further the miniaturisation of complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) chips. As CMOS chips decrease in size and increase in complexity, they become increasingly likely to suffer structural imperfections known as ‘statistical variability’. These imperfections can lead to expensive and wasteful reductions in manufacturing yields and the creation of chips which are more likely to fail.
The fully integrated and automated tool chain includes GARAND, the GSS ‘atomistic’ TCAD simulator; Mystic, the GSS statistical compact model extractor; and RandomSpice, the GSS statistical circuit simulator.
The GSS tool suite is the world only fully integrated tool chain that performs simulation- based Design/Technology Co-Optimisation (DTCO) in advanced bulk, FDSOI and FinFET CMOS technologies, including statistical variability and reliability.
Francis Benistant, TCAD Manager at GLOBALFOUNDRIES, said: “The GSS simulation tools offer significant competitive TCAD advantages that support technology development by providing a seamless flow from Monte Carlo transistor simulation through physical simulation of statistical variability, extraction of accurate statistical compact models, and circuit simulation.
“This integrated tool-chain provides a highly efficient TCAD environment that greatly accelerates technology design and circuit Co-Optimisation, allowing GLOBALFOUNDRIES to accelerate its technology development.”
Professor Asen Asenov, CEO of GSS and James Watt Chair in Electrical Engineering at the University of Glasgow, said: “We are delighted to have GLOBALFOUNDRIES as a GSS customer. I believe this relationship will prove to be highly symbiotic and will lead to advances in both GLOBALFOUNDRIES technology offerings and in driving future developments in the GSS tool chain.”
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Media Enquiries: ross.barker@glasgow.ac.uk / 0141 330 8593
Notes to Editors
About Gold Standard Simulations: Gold Standard Simulations Ltd is the world leader in predictive simulation nano-CMOS devices including statistical variability and reliability. The company’s simulation tool chain enables the physical simulation of perfomance and statistical variability and reliability in contemporary and future CMOS technologies, statistical compact model extraction and statistical circuit simulation using “push button” cluster-based technology. For more information visit http://www.GoldStandardSimulations.com.
First published: 24 July 2014
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