> Now it's a death watch to see out of: Aprio, ClearShape, Ponte, Brion,
> Pyxis, Takumi, Nannor, Blaze DFM, Prediction, Invarium, Pulsic, SoftJin,
> Luminescent, Sagantec, KLA-Tencor, ChipMD, and LogicVision who is going to
> be let into one of these lifeboats and who's going to drown.
>
>     - from http://www.deepchip.com/wiretap/061003.html


From: Mark Rencher <markr=user domain=pivotalenterprises spot mom>

Hi John,

The wave of DFM comments on your Wiretap blog has prompted me to provide a
brief commentary.  

It's all about yield.  Most, if not all semiconductor companies live and die
on balancing 3 business objectives: yield, sales, and inventory.

The DFM companies you listed are focused on yield loss prevention, not yield
improvement.  I believe there are a very small number of EDA companies that
understand, "any improvement in yield is worth it's cost".  If they did, then
the semiconductor industry would hear chest pounding comments such as

  "EDA product XYZ predicts an increase in Cpk of critical electrical
   measurements by 5% which has been validated during wafer probe at TSMC."

but you don't hear such comments.  Since 2003, the 27+ DFM companies have
failed to understand or communicate that YIELD improvement is where their
company's market value will be established.  If they can not show measurable
yield improvement from wafer probe or final test data, they should just as
well go pound sand, because then at least they'll see some results.

Finally, if your readers really want to know how an EDA company is "making a
difference" ask them how they are improving yield from measured test data.
It's quite revealing.

DFM is prevention, DFY is improvement.

    - Mark Rencher, President
      Pivotal Enterprises, Inc.                  Mesa, AZ

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From: [ A Little Bird ]

Hi, John,

Keep me anon.  You should check out the Aprio web page.

                   http://www.aprio.com/management.html

Their original CEO Mike Gianfagna has disappeared from it!  The DFM death
watch goes on...

    - [ A Little Bird ]