SK Silicon-Foundry begins mass production of 'On-Chip EMC protection technology,' revolutionizing automotive semiconductor design

SK Silicon-Foundry, a foundry semiconductor company, has officially commenced mass production of its 'Bi-SCR based On-Chip EMC protection technology,' a breakthrough designed to dramatically enhance electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) in automotive semiconductors. This innovative technology has been applied to products using the 0.13㎛ BCD process.

As the number of electronic components in vehicles rapidly increases, ensuring semiconductor reliability in extreme electrical stress environments has become a critical industry challenge. Traditional protection devices primarily addressed transient electrostatic discharge (ESD) during chip manufacturing or assembly. However, SK Silicon-Foundry's new technology offers a revolutionary 'On-Chip' solution, capable of autonomously controlling the harsh system-level EMC environments encountered during vehicle operation, as required by standards like ISO 10605.

The most significant impact of this technology is its ability to manage EMC stress internally, eliminating the necessity for external protection components such as 'TVS (Transient Voltage Suppressor) diodes,' which were previously essential in system design. The Bi-SCR structure, known for its flexible trigger voltage control and superior high-current handling capabilities, offers exceptional area efficiency. This makes it particularly suitable for protecting power semiconductors (ICs) in vehicles, where space is limited and high integration is crucial.

This advancement allows customers to achieve top-tier system protection while reducing component count, thereby maximizing circuit design flexibility and spatial efficiency. SK Silicon-Foundry attributes this achievement to the synergy between its accumulated expertise in automotive BCD process technology and its advanced EMC/ESD protection design capabilities. The company plans to expand its portfolio of protection devices based on high-voltage LDMOS, BJT, SCR, and Diode technologies.

"In the recent automotive semiconductor market, 'EMC robustness' in harsh vehicle electronic system environments is emerging as a key competitive factor, beyond just component-level performance," stated Lee Dong-jae, CEO of SK Silicon-Foundry. "This successful mass production application marks a significant technological milestone, elevating the reliability of automotive semiconductor products and the stability of vehicle systems to a new level. We will continue to solidify our differentiated foundry competitiveness."

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In the recent automotive semiconductor market, 'EMC robustness' in harsh vehicle electronic system environments is emerging as a key competitive factor, beyond just component-level performance. This successful mass production application marks a significant technological milestone, elevating the reliability of automotive semiconductor products and the stability of vehicle systems to a new level. We will continue to solidify our differentiated foundry competitiveness.