At the recently held 2023 European Samsung Foundry Forum (SFF), Samsung Electronics announced that it is developing the industry's first 5nm eMRAM for next-generation automotive technology. The company is increasing investment in preparations to provide customers with a variety of solutions such as power semiconductors, microcontrollers, and advanced autonomous driving artificial intelligence chips.
eMRAM is a new type of non-volatile memory that uses charge trapping technology to store data instead of electron tunneling like traditional flash memory (Flash). This charge trapping technology gives eMRAM longer life and higher write speeds, making it ideal for automotive applications.
It is understood that in the automotive field, eMRAM can be used in a variety of scenarios, such as engine control units (ECUs), autonomous driving systems and safety systems. In the ECU, eMRAM can store information such as engine control algorithms, fault diagnosis and sensor data, and these data can be retained in the memory even after the vehicle is turned off. For autonomous driving systems, eMRAM’s high read and write speed and reliability make it an ideal choice for storing map data, traffic information and other sensor data. In the safety system, eMRAM can store the vehicle's safety configuration and safety algorithm to ensure that the vehicle can quickly activate the safety system and protect the safety of the occupants in the event of an accident.
In addition, eMRAM has excellent heat resistance and reliability and can operate in high temperatures and harsh environments. Therefore, eMRAM is a next-generation memory semiconductor for automotive applications that enables high read and write speeds and excellent heat resistance.
Samsung's 5nm eMRAM also has other important features. Using 5nm process technology, eMRAM is smaller in size, has higher integration and lower power consumption. This means that larger data can be processed and stored faster, while reducing the burden on the battery and improving the vehicle's endurance.
Since developing and mass-marketing the industry's first 28nm FD-SOI1 type eMRAM in 2019, Samsung has been developing a 14nm process based on AEC-Q100 Grade 1 FinFET transistor technology. According to the roadmap announced by Samsung, they plan to mass-produce 14nm process eMRAM in 2024 to provide more advanced storage solutions for the automotive industry.
In addition to eMRAM technology, Samsung is also expanding its 8-inch BCD process portfolio for power semiconductor production. The BCD process (Bipolar-CMOS-DMOS) is a process that integrates bipolar transistors, CMOS transistors and DMOS transistors. It is widely used in automotive electronics, power management, power amplifiers and other fields.
Samsung plans to upgrade the current 130nm automotive BCD process to 90nm, which is expected to be realized by 2025. Compared with the 130nm process, the 90nm BCD process can reduce the chip area by about 20%. In addition, Samsung also plans to use deep trench isolation (DTI) technology to reduce the distance between each transistor to maximize the performance of power semiconductors.
The development and application of these technologies will bring higher levels of intelligence, electrification and safety to the automotive industry. The high-speed reading and writing and reliability of eMRAM enable automotive systems to process and store large amounts of data faster, improving the performance of autonomous driving, safety and smart functions. The upgrade of the BCD process can reduce chip size and improve the efficiency and performance of power semiconductors.
As the automotive industry continues to develop and innovate, data processing needs will continue to grow. Samsung Electronics is committed to meeting the automotive industry's needs for high performance, reliability and energy saving by introducing advanced storage technologies and processes, and contributing to the development of smart cars.
About Samsung：
Samsung Semiconductor's business aims to achieve excellence as a long life, energy saving and eco-friendly light source supplier in displays and lighting applications. Samsung's advanced semiconductor manufacturing expertise serves as a strong foundation to deliver state-of-the-art LED devices. Samsung offers LED based lighting solutions in the form of back light units in display panels, exterior and dashboard lighting in automotives, lighting packages and engines with and without integrated optics, and drivers.
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