Cadence has announced a partnership with MediaTek to enhance the latter’s 2nm design flow through its AI-driven Cadence Virtuoso Studio and Spectre X Simulator. This collaboration has resulted in a reported 30% productivity gain compared to previous versions of the software.

MediaTek's adoption of Virtuoso Studio has significantly improved design efficiency by accelerating the design-centering process. In addition, the Spectre X Simulator, when run on NVIDIA’s Hopper GPUs, provides up to six times greater performance without sacrificing accuracy.

Ching San Wu, corporate vice president at MediaTek, emphasized the importance of AI-powered tools to meet tight deadlines in their 2nm development, stating, “Closely collaborating with Cadence, we have adopted the Cadence Virtuoso Studio and Spectre X Simulator, which deliver the performance and accuracy necessary to achieve our tight design turnaround time requirements. Cadence’s comprehensive automation features enhance our throughput and efficiency, enabling our designers to be 30% more productive.”

Through the integration of its own AI optimization algorithm within the Virtuoso ADE Suite, MediaTek has bolstered its workflow efficiency in circuit design. This integration comes on top of additional productivity enhancements achieved using Virtuoso’s layout routing and placement tools.

Dion Harris, director of accelerated computing at NVIDIA, commented on the collaboration, noting that improved performance and efficiency are critical to advance complex chip design processes. The integration allows companies like MediaTek to enhance verification of intricate post-layout designs and reduce time to market.

Vinod Kariat, corporate vice president and general manager of the Custom Products Group at Cadence, highlighted that MediaTek’s use of their latest tools illustrates Cadence’s commitment to improving custom design solutions. The adoption of GPU power through Spectre X empowers MediaTek to manage verification challenges more effectively while maintaining accuracy.

This partnership marks a significant step forward in the application of AI and advanced simulation tools in semiconductor design, particularly as the industry addresses the challenges posed by increasingly complex chip designs.