Toshiba And Ponte Team On Advanced DFM Technologies

Corporate Manufacturing Engineering Center and Ponte to Provide
DFM Solutions to Toshiba Business Units
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(Business Wire)--
Ponte Solutions(TM) today announced an agreement with the
Corporate Manufacturing Engineering Center (TCMC), a center of Toshiba
Corporation, to deliver advanced DFM solutions to Toshiba
semiconductor business units. The first joint effort will provide
Ponte's via and contact etch modeling capability to Toshiba
semiconductor manufacturing groups resulting in acceleration in
delivery of advanced process technologies.

"Our agreement with Ponte will allow us to deliver a more robust
and high-quality solution to our wafer fabs," said Seiji Onoue, Senior
Research Scientist, Process Research Center, Corporate Manufacturing
Engineering Center, Toshiba Corporation. "Working with Ponte on the
current via and contact etch project, we have been able to extend our
analysis beyond standard TCAD environments, making Ponte an essential
success partner for us."

"Ponte's physics-based models can predict process variability
based on limited process information, so fabs don't need to run large
numbers of experimental wafers to tune their processes, leading to
faster and cheaper process development," said Ara Markosian, Ponte
Solutions CTO. "These models fill the gap between the TCAD
environment, traditionally used by R&D teams, and the chip-level
environment that designers work in, thus offering a bridge between
design and manufacturing teams."

With the successful outcome of the current joint via and contact
etch effort, Toshiba semiconductor fabs will be able to leverage
Ponte's DFM platform for accurate prediction of design-induced etch
rate and CD variations, resulting in better manufacturability
assessment and process control.

About Ponte Solutions

Ponte Solutions, Inc. develops and markets unique model-based
software products and design for manufacturing (DFM) solutions that
analyze, predict, and reduce the impact of process variability during
the manufacture and design of semiconductors. Ponte customers include
leading semiconductor companies, foundries, and design houses
worldwide. Founded in 2002, the venture-backed company has received
funding from The Mayfield Fund, U.S. Venture Partners, Incubic LLC,
Silicom Ventures LLC, and others. The company has offices in Mountain
View, Calif., and Yerevan, Armenia. For more information about Ponte
and its DFM products visit www.ponte.com.

All trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their
respective owners.

Ponte Public Relations
Jim Lochmiller, 541-821-3438
lochpr@yahoo.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008