SMIC Announces Ultra High Density IP Library for 0.11um Cu-BEoL Process

IP Library Solution Reduces Chip Size by 31%

SHANGHAI, March 8, 2012  -- Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation ("SMIC"; NYSE: SMI; SEHK: 0981.HK), China's largest and most advanced semiconductor foundry, today announced an ultra high density (UHD) library solution for its 0.11um Cu-BEoL (Copper Back End of Line) manufacturing platform that can reduce chip size by an average of 31%.

SMIC's comprehensive silicon-proven UHD IP solution incorporates SMIC's in-house UHD IP library, based on smaller bit cells, and Mentor Graphics' (NASDAQ: MENT) cool-memory IP library with MemQuestTM memory compiler, specifically designed for compatibility with SMIC's UHD solution. SMIC's in-house UHD library consists of a 6-track UHD standard cell library, UHD memory compiler, and UHD standard I/O library. Mentor Graphics' UHD cool-memory IP library comprises coolSRAM-6TTM, coolREG-6TTM, coolREG-8TTM (Dual Port), coolREG-8TTM (Two Port), and coolROMTM. This unified library solution can generate different configurations to optimize power, speed, and density, and is available to SMIC customers free of charge.

SMIC's 0.11um UHD IP solution enables a 31% chip size reduction for a typical SOC design, when compared to a design that uses a traditional IP library. This can bring tremendous cost advantages to customers. The silicon-proven ultra high density solution can be used in a wide range of applications, including mobile storage devices, flash memory controllers, mobile multimedia players, digital televisions, and set-top boxes.

"SMIC's 0.11um Cu-BEoL process has long been recognized by our customers for its high stability. We have an accumulative shipment of more than 100,000 wafers adopting SMIC's 0.11um IP library on our existing Cu-BEoL platforms," said Steven Chen, Senior Director of SMIC's Product Marketing Division. "Our Beijing and Shanghai fabs provide customized service based on our customers' chip size and quantities in order to meet their manufacturing requirements. Now with the release of SMIC's 0.11um ultra high density IP solution, we can further help our customers lower their manufacturing costs and increase their market competitiveness."

"Mentor Graphics is very pleased to be able to offer its systemic, low-power and high density memory compiler technology to SMIC 0.11um users, to further optimize their design and embedded memory usage for additional density and cost gains," said Farzad Zarrinfar, Managing Director of the Novelics business unit at Mentor Graphics.

About SMIC

Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation ("SMIC"; NYSE: SMI; SEHK: 981) is one of the leading semiconductor foundries in the world and the largest and most advanced foundry in Mainland China, providing integrated circuit (IC) foundry and technology services at 0.35-micron to 40-nanometer. Headquartered in Shanghai, China, SMIC has a 300mm wafer fabrication facility (fab) and three 200mm wafer fabs in its Shanghai mega-fab, two 300mm wafer fabs in its Beijing mega-fab, a 200mm wafer fab in Tianjin, and a 200mm fab under construction in Shenzhen. SMIC also has customer service and marketing offices in the U.S., Europe, Japan, and Taiwan, and a representative office in Hong Kong. In addition, SMIC manages and operates a 300mm wafer fab in Wuhan owned by Wuhan Xinxin Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation.

For more information, please visit http://www.smics.com/