The Inquirer reports GlobalFoundries will work together with Mentor Graphics on its 20nm process node. The foundry will use Mentor Graphics' Smartfill technology:
Mentor Graphics works on the hardware and software that ends up in fabs and the Smartfill technology in its Calibre Yieldenhancer will be used by Globalfoundries for fill techniques in its 20nm process node. According to Mentor Graphics, its Calibre Yieldenhancer will help Globalfoundries hit integrated circuit fill constraints in a single pass, and that should reduce tape-out time.
Maq Mannan, director of PDK development at Globalfoundries said, "At 20nm the fill strategy becomes much more sophisticated because it's no longer just about planarity. Besides CMP-ECD [chemical mechanical planarisation or polishing - electron capture dissociation] issues, you have to consider a whole range of interrelated effects, such as etch, lithography, stress, rapid thermal annealing (RTA) and other issues essential to successful manufacturing. Calibre's integrated fill analysis and cell-based approach makes fill more precise, while achieving target runtime and output file size."
