Cadence Design Systems has acquired Clear Shape Technologies, a design for manufacturing (DFM) technology company specializing in design-side solutions to minimize yield loss for advanced semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs). Clear Shape was founded in 2003 by a team of industry veterans with technical expertise in the semiconductor-manufacturing and electronic-design-automation industries. Combined with Cadence's existing DFM methodologies and capabilities, Cadence will deliver manufacturing awareness and lithographic correctness for all layers in an IC from transistor through interconnect, in designs ranging from SoCs to full-custom and all design domains including analog, digital and mixed signal. The acquisition was completed on Aug. 15. Terms of the agreement have not been disclosed.