Driving Toward Fabless Automotive Chip Design & Foundry Manufacture

IC content in cars has been growing exponentially, adding significant complexity to automotive chip design and manufacturing. Today’s cars feature many semiconductor applications such as tire pressure monitoring sensors and accelerometers for airbag systems. Add electronic components to improve engine performance, increase fuel efficiency, control modern entertainment and communications devices, provide Internet capability and handle new comfort functions... Now add the challenge of making the associated ICs survive for many years in extreme heat and cold, rain and snow, salt, g-forces, humidity, dry and dusty conditions...and you’ve got your hands full designing for one of the most harsh IC operating environments.