SpringSoft targets chip finishing apps with new Laker Blitz

HSINCHU, TAIWAN: SpringSoft Inc., a global supplier of specialized IC design software, announced the immediate availability of the Laker Blitz chip-level layout editor, a new software product targeting chip finishing applications and the latest addition to its popular family of Laker custom IC design and layout automation solutions.

The Laker Blitz product enables high-speed viewing and editing of chip-level layouts to streamline tapeout-to-manufacturing operations. It is ideally suited for designs with massive data sets, such as advanced-node system-on-chip (SoC) implementations and large memory chips that are widely used in consumer electronics.

Chip finishing is one of the last physical design steps before manufacturing and generally requires engineers to merge large design files, run design rule checks (DRC), and make final corrections, all while under enormous schedule pressures. Currently, they most likely use layout tools or viewers that have been optimized for other tasks and have limited performance or minimal editing capabilities.

By contrast, SpringSoft’s Blitz software is specifically optimized for speed and user productivity during the chip finishing part of the design cycle, in keeping with the company’s focus on providing specialized solutions that address key pain points in the chip development process. It loads and exports GDSII data files 5 to 20 times faster than conventional layout tools, offers more robust layout editing capabilities than most high-capacity layout viewers, and provides an extensive library of Tool Command Language (Tcl) extensions for automating data manipulation.

Semiconductor manufacturers, foundries and fabless design companies are using SpringSoft’s new Laker offering for a variety of chip finishing applications, including IP merging, SoC assembly, and chip-level DRC reviews.

“There is a tools gap today when it comes to finishing a chip. Conventional layout editors are too slow, mask viewers are cumbersome with little or no editing capabilities, and DRC tools are limited in scope,” said Dave Reed, senior director of marketing for custom IC design solutions at SpringSoft. “Laker Blitz brings together performance, capacity, and proven layout technologies to significantly reduce the time and effort required to achieve final tapeout of high quality, high-density chip designs.”