Leuven, Belgium, February 13, 2003 ---Minimum fabrication costs have been reduced by a factor of up to 10, under a new program, launched under the Europractice IC Service. mini@sic will enable universities and research laboratories worldwide to fabricate very small designs at a cost of a few hundred euro.     

IMEC offers access to ASIC technologies through the Europractice IC Service. As well as low-cost entry to technologies and support, the IC Service provides cell library distribution, backend design support, prototyping and volume production including Multi-Project Wafers (MPW), and volume production runs in different technologies at AMI Semiconductor BVBA Belgium (AMIS).

ASIC prototyping is offered through pre-scheduled MPW runs whereby several designs are merged on the same mask set, so that expensive mask and wafer costs are shared between customers. This MPW principle typically reduces the ASIC prototyping cost by a factor of 10. MPW prototyping cost is proportional to the chip area. However, a minimum charge applies to small designs, typically equivalent to 5 to 10 mm2 or around 1,500 to 10,000 euro depending on the technology. This minimum charge is far too expensive for universities and research laboratories to prototype small designs made by engineering or PhD students.

To overcome this financial barrier and to allow universities and research laboratories to prototype small designs, Europractice is launching the mini@sic program, in collaboration with AMIS. Under this program, the minimum chargeable chip area is reduced to only 1 mm2. As a result, universities and research laboratories can now prototype small designs in AMIS technologies, at a greatly reduced fee, typically in the area of 300 to 1,000 euro.

"With this mini@sic program, we hope to stimulate universities and research laboratories to restore ASIC design to their curricula and to encourage new research in advanced technologies. The minimum charge has prevented universities from prototyping small ASICs. The mini@sic program should remove this barrier," said Dr. Carl Das, Director of the Europractice IC Service at IMEC.

"AMIS is committed to offer a continued support to Europractice for prototyping and small volume production. Allowing prototyping of small designs at very low cost is only possible with the help of Europractice.  By offering our advanced CMOS, high voltage CMOS and SiGe BiCMOS technologies at very low entry costs, AMIS hopes to make a valuable contribution to the needs of education and research at universities and laboratories throughout the world," said Ignace Borde, Foundry Business Unit Director at AMIS Belgium.

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Notes to editors
 

About Europractice IC Service
Europractice IC Service was set up in 1995 as part of a project by the European Commission to stimulate use by European industry and universities of advanced IC technologies. The Europractice service, run by a consortium headed by IMEC, offers industry and academia a fully supported, affordable route to IC design, prototyping, and small and medium volume production. Annually, about 500 designs are prototyped and 130 small volume projects are manufactured at leading IC manufacturers. For more information, please visit www.europractice.imec.be.

About IMEC
IMEC was founded in 1984 and today is Europe's largest independent research center in the field of microelectronics, nanotechnology, enabling design methods and technologies for ICT systems. IMEC's activities concentrate on the design technology for integrated information and communication systems; silicon process steps and modules, silicon processes; nanotechnology, microsystems, components and packaging; solar cells; and advanced training in microelectronics. IMEC is headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, and has a staff of more than 1250 people including over 380 industrial residents and guest researchers. Its revenue of more than 130Meuro is derived from agreements and contracts with the Flemish government and companies, equipment and material suppliers and semiconductor and system-oriented companies worldwide, the EC, MEDEA+ and ESA. News from IMEC is located at www.imec.be/kiosk

About AMIS
AMI Semiconductor (AMIS) is a world leader in the design and manufacture of application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). As a widely recognized innovator in state-of-the-art mixed-signal technologies and mid-range digital ASICs including ASIC conversion services, AMIS is committed to providing customers with the lowest cost, quickest time-to-market ASIC solutions. Offering unparalleled manufacturing flexibility and dedication to customer service, AMI Semiconductor operates globally with headquarters in Pocatello, Idaho, European corporate offices in Oudenaarde, Belgium, and a network of sales and design centers located in the key markets of the United States, Europe and the Asia Pacific region. For more information on AMIS, visit www.amis.com.
 

For more information:
Katrien Marent
Corporate Communication Manager
IMEC, Kapeldreef 75
B- 3001 Leuven, Belgium
Tel +32 16 28 18 80 Fax +32 16 28 16 37
Email: Katrien.Marent@imec.be