austriamicrosystems is the first to fully comply with Mixed-Signal/RF Process Design KIT guidelines from FSA

Standard checklist of PDK contents showcases austriamicrosystems' superior quality of devices and tools available

July 23, 2004 - austriamicrosystems' Full Service Foundry announces that it is the first to adopt the Fabless Semiconductor Association (FSA) mixed-signal/RF Process Design Kit (PDK) guidelines for it's foundry customers. A PDK is a set of data files that enables analog circuit and layout designers to efficiently design an integrated circuit (IC) using a set of electronic design automation (EDA) tools in a selected foundry process.

"As one of the pioneers of foundry supplied and qualified PDKs we are proud to be at the forefront of this important FSA initiative" said Douglas Pattullo, Design Support Manager for austriamicrosystems North America. "The FSA PDK Checklist allows a quick comparison between different releases of our HIT-Kit. It also provides an easy mechanism for customers to benchmark and realise the superiority of our HIT-Kit against PDKs from other foundries. This is another important step in our mission to provide extraordinary customer service and enable first-time right chip designs."

The checklist, developed by the FSA's Mixed-Signal/RF Foundry Committee, is delivered with each release version of a mixed-signal/RF PDK developed or co-developed by foundries, EDA tool vendors or design service companies. It showcases best practices in the semiconductor industry and serves as the ingredients list and "nutrition facts panel" for a design kit describing simulation models, technology files, design rule files and parameterised cell generators used to design today's complex mixed-signal and RF ICs.

"The checklist sheds light on this controversial supply-chain issue, and we hope it will become the de facto standard for identifying best practices in PDK development," said Jodi Shelton, co-founder and executive director of the FSA, being the global voice of fabless and hybrid semiconductor companies and their foundry and supply-chain partners. Incorporated in 1994, the Association (www.fsa.org) is focused on the perpetuation of the fabless business model throughout the worldwide semiconductor industry.

The FSA Mixed-Signal/RF PDK Checklist and instructions can be downloaded free of charge from the FSA Web site at www.fsa.org/committees/foundry.

The completed checklists for austriamicrosystems' HIT-Kits v3.60 can be found at asic.austriamicrosystems.com/hitkit/hk360/

About austriamicrosystems
austriamicrosystems AG is a leading designer and manufacturer of highly integrated analog intensive mixed signal ICs. austriamicrosystems combines more than 20 years of design capabilities, product and marketing know-how with its own cutting edge analog manufacturing and test facilities. Operating worldwide with more than 800 employees, austriamicrosystems serves four strategic markets: Communications, Industry & Medical, Automotive and Full-Service Foundry. austriamicrosystems AG is listed on the SWX Swiss Exchange in Zurich (ticker symbol: AMS).