Synopsys, Inc. (NASDAQ: SNPS), the world leader in semiconductor design software, announced today that Motorola Inc.'s Semiconductor Products Sector (SPS) has expanded its agreement to license Synopsys' phase-shift technology and mask synthesis software in order to apply the technology globally to its advanced 90 nanometer (nm) silicon-on-insulator (SOI) semiconductor manufacturing process technology.

"Synopsys phase-shift technology is expected to enable us to tightly control lithography resolution, and thereby enhance yields on our highest performance chips," said Ross Hirschi, director, Design Environment, Technology Solutions Organization, for Motorola's Semiconductor Products Sector. "We expect to have it available as a component of our 90 nanometer high-performance SOI manufacturing technology node."

Synopsys' phase-shifting software and technology is the only commercially available strong phase-shifting technology currently used by four customers in IC production. It has been employed to fabricate transistors as small as nine nm -- the world's smallest transistors manufactured with 248nm lithography equipment. The extension agreement also includes a license of Synopsys' patents related to this technology.

"This license extension agreement strengthens our existing relationship and serves as an endorsement of the teamwork and the technology that has helped generate commercial success for Motorola's advanced processors," stated Sandeep Khanna, vice president of marketing for Synopsys' Design for Manufacturing product line. "We've learned a lot through the course of our relationship and we're looking forward to contributing to Motorola's continued success."

About Synopsys DFM

Synopsys offers the industry's most comprehensive RTL-to-mask design-for-manufacturing (DFM) solution. Synopsys' DFM product family addresses critical yield and manufacturability issues with its Proteus™ mask synthesis, CATS™ mask data preparation, SiVL® lithography verification, iVirtual Stepper™ mask defect dispositioning and Taurus™ TCAD software products. Synopsys utilizes this expertise in its industry-leading Galaxy™ Design Platform implementation solution in order to help ensure that designs at 90nm and smaller geometries will meet key manufacturing requirements. Synopsys' DFM product family is the solution of choice at leading semiconductor manufacturers worldwide.

About Synopsys

Synopsys, Inc. is the world leader in electronic design automation (EDA) software for semiconductor design. The company delivers technology-leading IC design and verification platforms and IC manufacturing software products to the global electronics market, enabling the development and production of complex systems-on-chips (SoCs). Synopsys also provides intellectual property and design services to simplify the design process and accelerate time-to-market for its customers. Synopsys is headquartered in Mountain View, California and has offices in more than 60 locations throughout North America, Europe, Japan and Asia. Visit Synopsys online at http://www.synopsys.com/ .

NOTE: Synopsys and SiVL are registered trademarks and Proteus, CATS, iVirtual Stepper, Taurus and Galaxy are trademarks of Synopsys, Inc. All other trademarks or registered trademarks mentioned in this release are the intellectual property of their respective owners.

SOURCE: Synopsys, Inc.

CONTACT: Jennifer Scher of Synopsys, Inc., +1-650-584-5594, or
scher@synopsys.com; or Sarah Seifert of Edelman, +1-650-429-2776, or
sarah.seifert@edelman.com, for Synopsys, Inc.

Web site: http://www.synopsys.com/