May 31, 2006 – Toshiba Corp.’s semiconductor company is using Takumi Technology Corp.’s automated layout modification methodology for mask data preparation design flow in sub-65nm IC manufacturing, the companies said.

Using Takumi’s methodology, Toshiba automated its hot spot cleaning process and improved turnaround time, according to S. Inoue, group manager of the lithography process development group in Toshiba Semiconductor’s Process and Manufacturing Engineering Center. “We were able to reduce the number of hot spots from over 47,000 to just 40 in 12 hours,” while using existing EDA software, he stated.

The partnership between Toshiba and Takumi “indicates that our DFM methodologies in mask data preparation, defect analysis and layout modification can truly close the growing gap between design and manufacturing for sub-wavelength processes,” noted Adriaan Ligtenberg, Takumi president and CEO.