The development of EV and autonomous driving is leading to an increase in demand for advanced automotive semiconductors. Samsung Electronics recently held a wafer foundry forum in Germany, and announced its mass production plan for 2 nm automotive semiconductors.
According to reports from South Korean media Business Post and The Hankyoreh, Samsung announced during the forum its goal to complete the mass production preparation of 2 nm automotive solutions by 2026 and expand its product portfolio, including new-generation 5 nm embedded MRAM (eMRAM) and 8-inch BCD processes.
eMRAM offers fast read and write speeds and can operate stably at high temperatures, making it a point of interest in the automotive industry. After mass-producing 28 nm eMRAM in 2019, Samsung is currently working on the development of 14 nm FinFET-based eMRAM with plans for mass production in 2024. Furthermore, Samsung announced that it will advance to 8 nm and 5 nm-based eMRAM in 2026 and 2027, respectively, indicating that compared to 14 nm eMRAM, 8 nm eMRAM will have a 30% increase in integration density and a 33% increase in speed.
Regarding the BCD process, Samsung plans to scale it down from the current 130 nm to 90 nm by 2025, potentially reducing chip area by about 20%. Through Deep Trench Isolation (DTI) technology, Samsung will increase the high voltage for automotive semiconductor solutions from 70 volts to 120 volts. Samsung plans to introduce the 120-volt process design kit (PDK) in its 130 nm BCD process by 2025.
To strengthen its automotive semiconductor business, Samsung has partnered with 20 collaborators, including SAFE Partners, memory, packaging substrates, and test specialists, and established the Multi Die Integration Alliance (MDI) in June 2023. This alliance focuses on continuous R&D of differentiated 2.5D and 3D packaging solutions for various areas, including high-performance computing (HPC) and automotive.
Siyoung Choi, the president and general manager of Samsung's foundry business, stated that the company will optimize the manufacturing process for the automotive semiconductor market. It will develop and mass-produce AI semiconductors, power semiconductors, microcontrollers (MCUs), and other products in accordance with customer needs, particularly for autonomous driving levels. Through Samsung's unique differentiated foundry solutions, it aims to lead the era of EV and autonomous driving.
