ARM, Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing, IBM, Samsung Electronics and Synopsys have signed an agreement to develop a technology enablement product for design and manufacture of mobile internet-optimised devices. This was revealed at the Design Automation Conference (DAC).
Reportedly, the objective of this collaboration is to utilise material science, mobile multimedia implementation and SoC design to lower risk and improve time-to-market for mobile products.
The collaboration reportedly intends to integrate components including: ARM processor architecture for mobile applications and suite of physical intellectual property (physical IP); 32/28-nanometer (nm) low-power/low-leakage, high-k metal-gate (HKMG) synchronised foundry services through Common Platform and Synopsys Lynx Design System, including Galaxy Implementation Platform for SoC implementation and DesignWare connectivity IP.
Common Platform, a manufacturing alliance of IBM, Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing and Samsung Electronics said it uses an HKMG approach to address the limitations of polysilicon technology.
According to the companies, this agreement helps address the cost and technical challenges associated with SoC design and manufacturing by aligning strategy, technology roadmaps and customer deliveries.
Michael J. Cadigan, general manager, IBM Microelectronics Division, on behalf of the Common Platform alliance companies, said: The Common Platform alliance’s expanded engagement approach with ARM, and now Synopsys, means working more closely together with earlier access to each other’s technology innovations, integrating and optimising our capabilities for clients. The benefits are clear and differentiated: lower risk, lower cost and faster time-to-market.
Reportedly, ARM brings a portfolio of logic, memory and interface IP, and its Cortex processor family that is used in several mobile applications. The intention of this agreement is to ensure the IP is fully optimised with the Synopsys design flow.
Aart de Geus, chairman and CEO of Synopsys, said: Through this alignment, we plan to deliver early 32/28 nanometer tool and IP enablement, plus a complete, vertically optimised design solution based on the Synopsys Lynx Design System to provide customers the lowest cost of design and fastest time-to-market for next-generation mobile SoC designs.
