Feb 2008 - TOOL Corp. Announces New Release to Layout Visualization Platform, LAVIS

Tokyo, Japan – Feb 6, 2008 – TOOL Corporation (headquarters in Tokyo Japan, president Hideaki Hontao) today released the latest LAVIS version 7.2, a layout visualization platform. LAVIS has been supporting chip designers and manufactures of worldwide to meet their challenges in advanced ever-shrinking chip process, and this version set alongside its expandability. The upgrade includes both new features and enhancements of present features. Driven by the renowned LAVIS’ key technical advantages of ultra-fast display, extremely large data support and minimal memory usage, this latest version facilitates the broad range of usages, including means of visualized verifications in various issues in design flow.

The following is a few key features among many other hot topics of this version’s newly added and enhanced features:

  (1) Enhanced node trace feature
        Resistance-aware tracing feature is newly added to the Node Trace, which is
        highly competent for checking routing status. By predefining layers for
        resistance, dividing figures which are the subject of Node Trace at those
        layers is now available.
        In addition to that, the new "check traced node" feature provides verifications
        on the node trace results for the width of the routing, space between the traced
        routings or the traced routing and other surrounding routings. Utilizing this
        easy-to-operate feature is effective to check some concerning nodes in early
        stage for a layout before sign-off verification.

  (2) 3D display feature (optional)
        3D display feature is newly added as an optional feature of LAVIS. 3D view
        of the specified area is created and also can freely be rotated according to
        the predefined layers, data types, and thickness of wires. This can be used
        together with Node Trace feature to visualize the traced result and surrounding
        area. The cross-section of the layout can also be examined flexibly and
        interactively.
        3D display is highly competent in failure analyses and verifications by showing
        the details of flip-side and internals of a layout. 

  (3) Background file reading
        This new feature is added to read a file in the background process. In the mean
        time of opening extremely large data, other operations can be done. Reading
        multiple files is supported, and each progress of reading can be monitored.

This version also provides enhancements in cross-section display, GDS simple edit and various utility programs.

"In 2007, the release of LAVIS Ver.7 brought a significant boost in the overall performance by reforming the internal structure" said Hideaki Hontao, president of TOOL. "It resulted in us promptly providing enhancements in broad-ranging expansions and the higher performances, such as we see in Node Trace in this new release. We are committed to keep deliver solutions for worldwide customers promptly and precisely, and further performance improvements and enhancements are the key factor."

About LAVIS

LAVIS is a versatile layout visualization platform that supports fast large data display and multiple file formats. Its fast displaying and memory saving technology dramatically reduces large data load and display time. Various data including GDSII, OASIS, LEF/DEF, and E-beam formats are supported. Easy integration into other tools and machines allows LAVIS to be used as a "standard layout platform" in a wide range of flows including design, verification, mask data preparation, inspection and failure analysis.

About TOOL

TOOL is a Japanese software development company focused on the EDA sector. TOOL has a proven track record, especially in back-end design phases, of software development symbolized by its LAVIS. TOOL leverages its long and successful experience in both commercial and custom software development to optimize customers' design environments. For more information about TOOL and its products, visit the website at http://www.tool-corp.com/.

Contact:

TOOL Corporation
Asako Nakane
Marketing Group
+(81)-3-5723-8124
marketing@tool.co.jp

Product Inquiry:

TOOL Corporation
EDA Sales Department
+(81)-3-5723-8144
sales@tool.co.jp