Silvaco

Silvaco Inc. develops and markets electronic design automation (EDA) and technology CAD (TCAD) software and semiconductor design IP (SIP). The company is headquartered in Santa Clara, California, and has a global presence with offices located in North America, Europe, and throughout Asia. Since its founding in 1984, Silvaco has grown to become a large privately held EDA company. The company has been known by at least two other names: Silvaco International,[1] and Silvaco Data Systems.[2]

Silvaco Group, Inc.
TypePrivate Company
IndustrySoftware & Programming
Founded1984
FounderIvan Pesic
HeadquartersSanta Clara, California
Key people
Iliya Pesic, Chairman
Babak Taheri, CEO
Websitesilvaco.com

History

Founded by Dr. Ivan Pesic (13 September 1951, Resnik, Montenegro — 20 October 2012, Japan)[3][4] in 1984, the company is privately held and internally funded. It is headquartered in Santa Clara, California, with fourteen offices worldwide.

In 2003 Silvaco acquired Simucad Inc., a privately held company providing logic simulation EDA software.[5] Silvaco re-launched the brand by spinning out its EDA product line in 2006 under the Simucad name.[6][7] As of 17 February 2010, Simucad Design Automation and Silvaco Data Systems were merged back together forming Silvaco, Inc.[8]

In 2006,[9] Silvaco sued Intel for misappropriation of trade secrets in the case of Silvaco Data Systems v. Intel Corp., however ultimately the judgment of the Court was in favor of Intel.

In 2012, David Halliday was appointed CEO after the death of the company founder Ivan Pesic.[3]

In 2015, Silvaco appointed a new CEO, David Dutton.[10] The company also acquired Invarian, Inc., a privately held company providing power integrity analysis software,[11] and acquired Infiniscale SA, a privately held company in France providing variability analysis software.[12]

In 2016, Silvaco added semiconductor design IP (SIP) to its portfolio with the acquisition of the privately held company IPextreme, Inc.[13] Silvaco also entered into another new market segment with the acquisition of the privately held company edXact in France.[14] The tools from edXact are used for analysis, reduction, and comparison of extracted parasitic netlists.

In 2017, Silvaco acquired SoC Solutions, a privately held company providing semiconductor IP.[15]

In 2018, Silvaco acquired NanGate, a privately held company providing tools and services for creation, optimization, characterization, and validation of physical library IP.[16] The company also announced a partnership with Purdue University and the Purdue Research Foundation for the commercialization of the NEMO tool suite, which is used for nanoelectronics modeling and atomistic simulation.[17]

In 2019, Silvaco appointed Dr. Babak Taheri as its new Chief Executive Officer. Prior to his appointment, he was Silvaco's Chief Technical Officer.[18]

In 2020, Silvaco acquired the assets of Coupling Wave Solutions S.A., a privately held company providing silicon substrate noise analysis software.[19] Silvaco also acquired the memory compiler technologies and standard cell libraries of Dolphin Design.[20]

Products

Silvaco delivers EDA and semiconductor TCAD software products and semiconductor design IP with support and engineering services. Worldwide customers include leading foundries, fabless semiconductor companies, OEMs, integrated semiconductor manufacturers, and universities.

TCAD Products

Process Simulation

  • Victory Process – 2D/3D process simulator

Device Simulation

  • Victory Device 2D/3D device simulator

Other tools

  • Virtual Wafer Fab (VWF) – Emulation of wafer manufacturing to perform design-of-experiments and optimization.

EDA Products

The company supplies integrated EDA software in the areas of analog/mixed-signal/RF circuit simulation, custom IC CAD, interconnect modeling, and standard cell library development and characterization.

SPICE modeling and analog & mixed-signal simulation

  • Utmost IV – Device characterization and SPICE modeling
  • SmartSpice – Analog circuit simulator
  • SmartSpice RF – Frequency and time domain RF circuit simulator
  • SmartView – Simulation waveform viewer

Custom IC CAD

  • Gateway – Schematic editor
  • Expert – Layout editor
  • Guardian – DRC/LVS/Net physical verification
  • Hipex – Full-chip parasitic extraction
  • Jivaro – Parasitic reduction and analysis
  • VarMan – High-sigma variability analysis

Interconnect Modeling

  • Clever – Parasitic extractor for realistic 3D structures

Library Platform

  • Cello – Standard cell library creation, migration and optimization
  • Viola – Standard cell library and I/O cell characterization
  • Liberty Analyzer – Analysis and validation of timing, power, noise, and area data from characterization

SIP Products

The company markets a wide variety of semiconductor design IP (SIP).[21] In May 2019, the company announced that the semiconductor design IP of Samsung Foundry (SF) is now marketed, licensed, and supported through Silvaco.[22] SIP categories include:

  • Interface PHYs
  • Interface controllers
  • Automotive controllers
  • AMBA IP cores and subsystems
  • Security cores
  • Analog cores
  • Embedded processors
  • Analog front-ends and codecs
  • Foundation IP
    • Standard cell libraries
    • Embedded memories
    • I/Os

References
  1. "Silvaco rollout includes mixed-signal simulation". EE Times. Cambridge, Massachusetts: AspenCore. 7 June 2004. Retrieved 29 August 2019.
  2. "Software Gifts". ASU.edu. Arizona State University, the School of Electrical, Computer & Energy Engineering.
  3. "Silvaco Founder and CEO Dr Ivan Pesic Succumbs to Cancer" (Press release). Silvaco. 22 October 2012.
  4. Cooley, John (22 October 2012). "In Memory of Ivan Pesic of Silvaco (1951–2012)". Deep Chip (Blog). ESNUG 510 Item 5. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  5. Goering, Richard (8 October 2003). "Silvaco buys EDA pioneer Simucad". EE Times. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
  6. Santarini, Michael (9 January 2006). "Simucad spins out of Silvaco with eye toward IPO". Electronics Weekly. Surrey, England: Metropolis International Group. Archived from the original on 24 December 2012.
  7. McGrath, Dylan (9 January 2006). "Simucad spins out from Silvaco, plans IPO in '06". EE Times. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
  8. "TAOS tapes out mixed signal IC using Silvaco's place and route and EDA tool flow" (Press release). Silvaco. 17 February 2012.
  9. "Silvaco aims high in EDA". EETimes.com. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  10. "Silvaco Strengthens Leadership Team With Appointment of Seasoned Management Executives to Support Growth Strategy". Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  11. McLellan, Paul. "Silvaco Swallows Invarian". Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  12. "Silvaco Extends SPICE Product Portfolio to Address Advanced Variation-Aware Design with Acquisition of Infiniscale". Silvaco.com. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  13. "Silvaco Enters IP Market With Acquisition of IPextreme". Silvaco.com. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  14. "Silvaco Group Acquires edXact for SPICE Simulation Speed-up". Silvaco.com. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  15. "Silvaco to Acquire SoC Solutions". GlobeNewsWire.com. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  16. "Silvaco Completes Acquisition of NanGate". BusinessWire.com. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  17. "Silvaco, Purdue Team up to Bring Scalable Atomistic TCAD Solutions for Next Generation Semiconductor Devices and Materials". BusinessWire.com. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
  18. "Silvaco Appoints Babak Taheri as new Chief Executive Officer". BusinessWire.com. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  19. "Silvaco Acquires the Assets of Coupling Wave Solutions S.A." BusinessWire.com. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  20. "Silvaco Acquires Memory Compiler Technology of Dolphin Design SAS". BusinessWire.com. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  21. "Design IP". Silvaco.com. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  22. "Samsung Foundry Begins Partnership with Silvaco to Launch their Semiconductor IP Assets". BusinessWire.com. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
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