Coventor Names IBM Semiconductor Process Expert David Fried as CTO

IBM Veteran With Deep Experience in Advanced Process Technology Including SOI and FinFETs to Lead Strategic Direction in the Development Efforts for Virtual Fabrication Solutions for 22nm and Beyond


CARY, NC--(Marketwire - Aug 7, 2012) - Coventor®, Inc., the leading supplier of virtual fabrication solutions for semiconductor devices and micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), today announced the addition of renowned semiconductor process expert David Fried, Ph.D., to its executive team. As Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for its semiconductor development products, Fried will oversee the company's strategic direction and implementation of its SEMulator3D virtual fabrication 3D process modeling solution.

Fried is a well-respected technologist in the semiconductor industry, with 45 patents to his credit and a notable career within IBM, where he was involved in successive process generations from 65-nanometer and lower. His most recent position was 22nm Chief Technologist for IBM's Systems and Technology Group. Fried has published more than two dozen papers and technical articles, describing innovations in key areas such as Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI), FinFETs, memory scaling, strained silicon, and process variability. He has Master's and Doctoral degrees in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University, where his doctoral dissertation was titled, "The Design, Fabrication and Characterization of Independent-Gate FinFETs."

"David is one of the foremost authorities on leading-edge process development and understands deeply how advanced modeling and automation technology can be used to further evolve semiconductor manufacturing," said Mike Jamiolkowski, president and CEO of Coventor. "With the continued move to new topologies and more exotic materials and techniques for enabling the scaling of process geometries our SEMulator3D solution is well-positioned to address large market opportunities. We are pleased to have such an expert leading our efforts in this area."

Fried will report to Jamiolkowski and will lead the execution of technology strategy for technology platforms, partnerships, and external relationships. In addition, he will play a critical role in defining market opportunities, customer segmentation and new strategic directions for the product line. He will play a visible role in the industry in helping drive new standards and collaborative research and development with partners.

"As a user of SEMulator3D for many years, I can attest to its capabilities as a platform for advancing semiconductor process development. I am excited to leverage my development experience with the tool and apply it to enhancing and expanding this important area for Coventor," said Fried. "I am a firm believer that a virtual manufacturing platform is critical for us as an industry to continue to advance the state-of-the-art in process technology."

SEMulator3D Virtual Fabrication
SEMulator3D virtual fabrication is quite distinct from conventional TCAD simulation software: it has the capacity and speed to model the complete semiconductor fabrication sequence rather than a few steps at a time. In addition, SEMulator3D has the flexibility to accurately model any device type and is fast enough to model all possible device variations, enabling users to predict process defect modes and reduce waste from typical trial-and-error experimental practice. SEMulator3D software has been successfully deployed by the world's leading semiconductor companies for process integration of advanced logic and memory technology nodes, including 22-nanometer (nm) logic technology. The software is now being applied to accelerate development of the upcoming 14nm and 10nm nodes. SEMulator3D is also used by leading MEMS integrated device manufacturers (IDMs) and MEMS foundries for process development and design verification prior to tape out. Emerging applications for SEMulator3D include design rule development, failure analysis, and metrology.

About Coventor
Coventor, Inc. is the market leader in automated design solutions for micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) and virtual fabrication of MEMS and semiconductor devices. Coventor serves a worldwide customer base of integrated device manufacturers, fabless design houses, independent foundries, and R&D organizations. Its customers include developers of MEMS-based products for automotive, aerospace, industrial, defense, and consumer electronics applications, including smartphones, tablets, and gaming systems. Its software is also used to model advanced IC and MEMS manufacturing process by leading IDMs and foundries. Coventor's software tools and expertise enable its customers to simulate and optimize MEMS device designs and fabrication processes before committing to time-consuming and costly build-and-test cycles. The company is headquartered in Cary, North Carolina and has offices in California's Silicon Valley, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Paris, France. More information is available at http://www.coventor.com.

Coventor and SEMulator3D are registered trademarks of Coventor, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Contact Information:

For more information, contact:
Mike Sottak
(408) 876-4418

David Fried, Chief Technology Officer, Semiconductor: Coventor, Inc.