Agilent Technologies Inc. and Accelicon Technologies announced they have signed a definitive acquisition agreement. Accelicon, a privately held company, provides device-level modeling and validation software for the electronics industry.
The transaction, subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to be completed in 60 to 90 days. Financial details were not disclosed.
The acquisition, led by Agilent’s EEsof EDA organization, will further enhance Agilent’s leadership in semiconductor device modeling. Accurate, verified device models are critical to reduce R&D design cycles as higher frequencies, smaller technology nodes, new materials and device layouts call for more accurate process design kits. As a result, device modeling continues to be one of the most critical parts of the electronics design flow.
As the electronics industry advances, market-leading companies look for cost and productivity improvements, facing at the same time, greater simulation accuracy challenges due to chip complexity, fabrication constraints and process variations. To help with this, semiconductor foundries are constantly looking for new ways to improve and streamline their design processes and provide standard design kits with accurate models.
“With the addition of Accelicon’s innovative technology and talented team, we look forward to offering our customers an even broader portfolio of solutions to address their modeling needs,” said Mark Pierpont, Vice President and General Manager of Agilent’s Software and Modular Solutions Division. “Combining Agilent’s experience in measurement with the modeling expertise of both companies advances our goal of providing design teams with the industry’s most complete flow from device modeling to simulation and measurement.”
Accelicon was founded in 2002 by noted industry veteran Dr. Xisheng Zhang, now company President.
Accelicon sells the leading SPICE model analysis solution for model quality assurance. Accelicon’s MQA solution offers the industry’s first model verification platform and provides a critical link between fab and design, comparing, documenting and validating foundry-supplied models. Differences between technology nodes, library versions and even other foundry models can be assessed. Accelicon also offers a modeling platform MBP that allows modeling engineers to optimize the SPICE model library in order to best reflect silicon data and meet the requirements for a specific type of design.
“We are looking forward to joining our team with Agilent’s EEsof group,” said Tim K. Smith, Accelicon’s CEO. “Leveraging Agilent’s world-class field and engineering resources will enhance the development and support of Accelicon’s modeling and validation platform. The combined EEsof/Accelicon platform will be the most comprehensive and advanced offering in the market today.”
The majority of Accelicon’s 30 employees are located in Beijing, China. As a result of this acquisition, Agilent’s device modeling R&D and services will expand in Asia, a growing region, where many leading foundries reside.
