Silicon Foundries and Mask Shops
Silicon Foundries and Mask Shops are investing significant amount of resources in moving towards new deep sub-micron processes. In order for the customers of the foundries and mask shops to leverage on these new deep-sub micron processes, closer interaction with EDA is needed. This interaction would need to be captured in the next generation Design-For-Manufacturability/Design-For-Yield tools to enable design customers to achieve silicon success at finer geometries. Alongside each new process, foundries need to provide reference design flows and design kits to customers. Foundries and Mask Shops can also make use of Design Automation technologies to automate and optimize their internal process steps. The above is valid for not only the independent silicon foundries and mask shops but also as the manufacturing related groups of Integrated Device Manufacturers.

Our offerings
SoftJin offers a combination of EDA product development services, re-usable EDA building blocks and Design Technology Services for the specific requirements of Foundries and Mask Shops.

EDA Products:
Nirmaan: SoftJin offers Nirmaan, which is a unique toolkit for EDA tool developers, that accelerates development of optimized post layout EDA tools, including DFM/DFY tools. At sub 90 nanometer geometries, the post layout tool development challenges include handling of huge layout data and performing complex geometrical operations in an efficient manner. Nirmaan is first of its kind development toolkit that addresses this challenge. Nirmaan enables Foundries and Mask Shops to develop their own Layout enhancement tools including Mask Data Preparation, Rule checkers, RET (OPC/PSM) and Mask/Die data inspection tools.

Please click here for more information on Nirmaan.

GDSIIZIP: The size of the GDSII layout data is creating serious problems for data transfer, data storage and archival. SoftJin’s GDSII compressor addresses the issue of GDSII data compression by compressing the GDSII file into considerably smaller size. The compression and decompression are perfectly reversible actions. Hence, the decompressed GDSII file is bit-by-bit comparable to the original GDSII file. The compression ratio is higher than the currently available solutions from other vendors

Please click here for more information on GDSIIZIP.

Anuvad: OASIS is the upcoming standard for layout and EB data, which is expected to replace GDSII and MEBES in coming years. SoftJin’s Anuvad tool suite includes GDSII/OASIS libraries and translators which can be downloaded free in source code from here. Anuvad suite allows conversion of legacy GDSII data into OASIS format for seamless transition. The suite also enables early adoption of OASIS based methodology by helping kick start OASIS based tool development.

SoftJin also offers OASIS based customized tool development services.

Customized EDA tool development services:
Post Layout tools: SoftJin has strong capability in the area of post layout analysis and enhancement tools. This is based upon the following relevant areas of our expertise:

• Ability to handle large data – New generation post layout tools requires efficient handling of huge layout data. SoftJin has expertise in techniques for handling huge layout data and performing hierarchical and parallel processing on such data.
• Fast Computational Geometry Algorithms – We have developed fast computational geometry algorithms for performing Boolean and Geometrical Operations on the layout data.

Based upon the above capabilities, SoftJin can develop customized Post Layout tools for specific requirements of Foundries and Mask Shops. These could include Mask Data Preparation, Critical Area Analysis, Optical Proximity Correction/Phase Shift Mask and other DFM/DFY tools.

Learn more about a customer engagement in this domain wherein we developed a customized Mask Data Preparation tool.

Inspection & Verification: SoftJin has the capability to develop key software components of die-to-database inspection and other tools involved in Mask and Die Inspection. We can also develop Mask Rule Checkers that are specific to your process.

Translators: As an EDA software development services company, SoftJin has expertise in a wide array of layout data formats such as GDSII, OASIS and E-Beam formats like MEBES, JEOL, and OASIS.NEO. We can develop translators and post-processors on any of these formats to meet downstream format requirements.

Mask Flow Automation Software: SoftJin has the expertise to develop customized Tapeout and mask flow automation software. This includes developing Automatic Reticle frame Floorplanners, Automation of tapeout paperwork and automatic generation of SEMI P/10 compliant order data.

Design Technology Services:

1. Process Design Kit Development – SoftJin’s Design Technology services team partners with Foundries and helps them in their PDK Development, Enhancement and Maintenance activities. Some of the specific activities that we can support include Parameterized Cell (P-Cell) Development and Support for Schematic Design related PDK components. We have worked across full Pcell Development cycle including requirement gathering from designers, Pcell Development based on Cadence SKILL language and Full Verification flow on the developed Pcells including DRC and LVS tools.

2. Reference Flow development – SoftJin’s Design Technology services team can help foundries develop, qualify and test Reference flows. As a services company, we are EDA vendor neutral and can be an unbiased partner for the Reference flow teams at Foundries in developing Reference Flows. Our Design Technology Services team has expertise in working with commercial EDA tools as well as skills like scripting which are essential for developing tool flows.

3. Cell characterization and library Development: SoftJin’s Design technology team has previous experience in developing cell characterization tools. Key capabilities of our team in this area include Cell characterization tool flow development and enhancement around existing SPICE simulators.

Benefits
As an independent software development services company, SoftJin can work closely with Foundries and mask shops to develop proprietary tools and flows that could be of competitive advantage to you. SoftJin has rich expertise and extensive experience in this domain, thereby enabling us to provide you with productive and innovative solutions for your EDA requirements