Mentor Consulting Slashes Time-to-Mask at Dongbu HiTek with Optimized Calibre Flow

WILSONVILLE, Ore.--(Business Wire)--
Mentor Graphics Corporation (NASDAQ:MENT) today announced that its
consulting division has successfully completed an engagement at Dongbu
HiTek, resulting in a 50 percent reduction in tape-to-mask turnaround
time (TAT) while maintaining consistent manufacturing quality and
yield. The improvements were achieved by optimizing Dongbu HiTek's
overall RET/MDP flow and taking advantage of the newest capabilities
of the Calibre(R) OPC and Calibre OPCverify(TM) software solutions for
lithography process simulation and correction.

According to Dr. Jae Song, executive vice president of marketing
at Dongbu HiTek, "We're very happy with the results of our partnership
with Mentor Consulting. The results of this engagement have enabled
Dongbu HiTek to substantially accelerate time-to-mass production for
its customers. For example, we can accomplish the OPC flow for a
110-nanometer multi-project wafer in two days, compared to ten days
before this engagement. For a chip requiring several respins, faster
OPC TAT can accelerate mass production by more than 30 days. Mentor
Consulting completed the engagement on time, and the OPC TAT
improvements of 50 to 80 percent exceeded our expectations."

Dongbu HiTek, headquartered in Seoul, Korea, provides wafer
processing supported by comprehensive design support (IP and design
libraries), prototype development and verification, and packaging and
module development that add high value to display and various mobile
applications.

The four-month project, which started in March 2008, included
migrating Dongbu HiTek to the latest release of the Calibre OPC and
OPCverify products to take full advantage of new tool capabilities.
Mentor Consulting also implemented its RET/MDP optimization
methodology to improve Dongbu HiTek's overall RET/MDP flow to achieve
faster turnaround while maintaining accurate OPC models and recipes,
validated by mask quality and pattern fidelity measurements. During
the engagement, Mentor Consulting also transferred best practices for
achieving optimal flow performance to the Dongbu HiTek team to enable
them to make future optimizations and to adapt to evolving process
requirements.

"Mentor Graphics operates on the 'partnership principle,'
providing both technologies and methodologies tailored to the needs of
our customers," said Paul Hofstadler, vice president of Worldwide
Consulting at Mentor Graphics. "We place emphasis on finishing our
tasks on time and within budget, and on sharing knowledge with our
customers regarding how the improvements were accomplished and what
further optimizations might be possible in the future. We are already
providing services below 32nm, so Mentor Consulting is our customers'
preferred choice when they are ready to move to the next technology
node, or to optimize their existing tape-to-mask flow."

About Calibre OPC Products

The Calibre OPC product is a full-chip, lithography correction
tool used to create mask layers in preparation for wafer fabrication.
The software enables complete simulation of the photolithographic
manufacturing process and outputs modified layout shapes for mask
making to enable pattern resolution in sub-wavelength
photolithographic processes. It is fully integrated into the Calibre
physical verification and design-for-manufacturing (DFM) platform,
enabling completely integrated processing in a single batch run, from
design tapeout through fracturing for mask making.

The Calibre OPCverify product is a post-OPC verification tool used
to detect systematic yield loss problems before a design is sent to
the mask or wafer manufacturer. The Calibre OPCverify solution checks
every element and contour, not just edges, for critical failure
detection and full process window prediction. It also enables users to
optimize their OPC models and recipes during technology development.
High scalability and integration with the Calibre platform ensure fast
turnaround time for all mask verification operations.

About Mentor Consulting

Mentor Consulting is an expert in electronic design automation
infrastructure and methodology, and is the only service partner in the
industry that invests specifically in the transfer of knowledge to its
customers. Every consultant is chartered with improving customer
proficiency in the methodologies and technologies employed in an
engagement, while concurrently achieving customer objectives. Mentor
Consulting solutions for silicon yield enhancement, verification, data
management, cabling, and system design are used worldwide by
forward-looking electronics companies to optimize design productivity
and advance adoption of the latest industry design best practices. For
more information, e-mail Mentor Consulting at
mentor_consulting@mentor.com or visit www.mentor.com/consulting.

About Mentor Graphics

Mentor Graphics Corporation (NASDAQ:MENT) is a world leader in
electronic hardware and software design solutions, providing products,
consulting services and award-winning support for the world's most
successful electronics and semiconductor companies. Established in
1981, the company reported revenues over the last 12 months of over
$850 million and employs approximately 4,200 people worldwide.
Corporate headquarters are located at 8005 S.W. Boeckman Road,
Wilsonville, Oregon 97070-7777. World Wide Web site:
http://www.mentor.com/.

(Mentor Graphics and Calibre are registered trademarks and
OPCverify is a trademark of Mentor Graphics Corporation. All other
company or product names are the registered trademarks or trademarks
of their respective owners.)

Mentor Graphics
Gene Forte, 503-685-1193
gene_forte@mentor.com
Sonia Harrison, 503-685-1165
sonia_harrison@mentor.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008