OPC software optimised for Intel Core servers

Optical proximity correction (OPC) software has achieved substantial processor and memory improvements when optimised for and deployed on Intel Core microarchitecture-based server products.

Synopsys Proteus optical proximity correction (OPC) software has achieved substantial processor and memory improvements when optimised for and deployed on Intel Core microarchitecture-based server products.

Compared to competitive tools running on special-purpose custom platforms, Proteus has demonstrated price/performance superiority on Intel architectures, such as the Intel Dual-Core Xeon Processor 5100 series (formerly called Woodcrest), enabling chipmakers to significantly lower their turnaround time (TAT) and overall cost of ownership (CoO).

This translates into a significant CoO advantage for Proteus OPC users.

Unlike alternative approaches involving custom hardware, optimised general-purpose platforms offer a high degree of flexibility -- an essential consideration, as the overall cost of computing is becoming an increasingly vital concern for chipmakers.

Users can deploy the same solution throughout their design-to-silicon flow, whether in back-end steps such as OPC, lithography rule checking (LRC) and mask data preparation (MDP), or in design-rule checking (DRC) and other front-end design applications.

Anantha Sethuraman, Vice President of Marketing, Design for Manufacturing, at Synopsys, "Our proven Proteus OPC engine has been in production for 10 years over seven consecutive technology nodes, delivering an average software performance improvement of 40% from year to year".

"Its innovative dual-domain engine further advances our commitment to lower customers' CoO by enabling a 50-% reduction in Proteus' memory footprint per compute node".

"When combined with optimised general-purpose computers, which are on their own steep price/performance improvement path, we believe this solution constitutes the most cost-effective strategy for high-volume manufacturing of 45nm and smaller devices".

"Optimised tools, such as Synopsys Proteus, can take advantage of the significant performance, power efficiency and value advantages offered by the Intel Xeon 5100 series processors", says Martin J Menard, Director, Platform Capabilities, Intel IT.

"Intel Core microarchitecture-based server platforms offer a cost-effective high performance computing solution in today's demanding chip manufacturing environment".

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