Automotive Electronics

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Automotive electronics used in safety critical like applications have severe ESD/EOS and EMC requirements. These chips are typically fabricated in high voltage or BCD technologies.

Another type of automotive electronics is used for ADAS, infotainment. While these chips have more standard EOS/ESD requirements they are manufactured in advanced CMOS or FinFET technology that is easily damaged during ESD stress.

Custom ESD requirements

There are several reasons why IC designers developing automotive IC products require custom ESD solutions

Infotainment and camera applications need high-speed communication. The interfaces need ESD protection with low parasitic capacitance

Automotive ICs designed in FinFET processes need effective ESD clamps to protect the sensitive circuits.

Many ICs for automotive applications are used in harsh environments. Higher than usual ESD, EMC and EOS robustness is needed.

To conserve energy, IC designers should use low leakage ESD protection concepts

Sensor interfaces or battery connections add unique I/O requirements

Sofics IP for Automotive Electronics

Key focus areas

A. High-Speed interfaces

Sofics IP was used in Automotive Ethernet. The communication interfaces need ESD clamps with low parasitic capacitance. Sofics clamps provide standard ESD robustness and do not require a resistance in the signal path.

B. Beyond standard voltage levels

Our IP was used for sensor interfaces, battery connections and more. We have delivered unique, proprietary solutions for high voltage tolerance interface where conventional ESD concepts fail to protect.

C. Sensitive circuits

ICs designed for infotainment and ADAS applications use advanced FinFET process technology that is easily damaged during ESD stress. Effective protection, even for thin oxide transistors is required.

D. Harsh environments

Automotive ICs are frequentlye used in under-the-hood environments. Sofics ESD clamps were used for sensor applications and for LIN/CAN transceivers. Our ESD clamps are easily scaled to any ESD/EOS protection level.

Foundries covered

TSMC

UMC

GlobalFoundries

TowerJazz

KeyFoundry

IDM/proprietary fabs

IC products from our customers

Our customers have designed ICs for several automotive electronics applications. Examples include high-speed ethernet communication, sensor interfaces, LIN/CAN transceivers, …

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