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sureCore Ltd. today announced it has joined the GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GF) FDXcelerator™ Partner Program and will make both their Low Power “PowerMiser” and Ultra Low Voltage “EverOn” SRAM offerings available on GF’s 22nm FD-SOI (22FDX®) process technology. PowerMiser delivers dynamic and static power savings exceeding 50 percent and 20 percent respectively. EverOn is the first commercially available SRAM to enable robust and reliable operation at near threshold voltages delivering hitherto unprecedented power savings. sureCore SRAMs are built from standard foundry bit cells and need no process modifications

“GF’s 22FDX is a logical next step for developers who are currently in 28nm bulk processes” said CEO Paul Wells. “We believe the 22FDX technology offers many technical and commercial benefits when compared to standard bulk CMOS technology. Combined with sureCore’s low power SRAM technology it will provide a best-in-class platform for the development of low power devices. In particular the EverOn SRAM will enable developers of IoT and Wearables the capability to deliver true near threshold operation by voltage scaling in tandem with the logic. Operation at as low as 550mV, the bit cell retention voltage, is a real game changer.”

“Our collaboration with sureCore enables customers to fully leverage the benefits of GF’s 22FDX platform and meet the ultra-low-power requirements of next generation connected devices,” said Alain Mutricy, senior vice president of product management at GF.

Key to the break-through is sureCore’s patented “smart-Assist” technology that allows robust operation down to the bit cell retention voltage. Other architectural improvements include enhanced sleep modes as well as array subdivision into four banks, each being independently controllable to be active, in retentive sleep or powered off thereby facilitating even greater power efficiency.

The challenges of near-threshold design drove sureCore to implement a world class verification and characterisation regime exploiting leading edge EDA tooling as well as extensive silicon validation using targeted process skews. Successful completion of industry standard High Temperature Operating Life (HTOL) tests has confirmed the inherent robustness and reliability of the EverOn SRAM.

“Low power design is placing new demands on SoC developers and, compared to the restrictions imposed by standard memory, our EverOn SRAM enables a new dimension in low power capability,” said Eric Gunn, sureCore’s COO.

The MIPI Alliance, an international organization that develops interface specifications for mobile and mobile-influenced industries, today announced the formation of an Automotive Birds of a Feather (BoF) Group to solicit industry input from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and their suppliers to enhance existing or develop new interface specifications for automotive applications. The group is open to both MIPI Alliance member and non-member companies to represent the broader automotive ecosystem.

Automobiles have become a new platform for innovation, and manufacturers are already using MIPI Alliance specifications as they develop and implement applications for passive and active safety, infotainment and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).MIPI interfaces such as Camera Serial Interface 2 (MIPI CSI-2SM), Display Serial Interface (MIPI DSISM) and Display Serial Interface 2 (MIPI DSI-2SM) are ideal for a variety of low- and high-bandwidth applications that integrate components such as cameras, displays, biometric readers, microphones and accelerometers. MIPI I3CSM helps automotive systems designers minimize the complexity, cost and development time for products that use multiple sensors in a space-constrained form factor. Highly sensitive, mission-critical automotive applications also benefit from MIPI interfaces’ low electromagnetic interference (EMI), a capability that’s been proven in billions of mobile phones and other handheld devices.

“Automakers already rely on MIPI Alliance’s industry-standard interfaces to enable a wide variety of applications, including collision mitigation and avoidance, infotainment and navigation,” said Matt Ronning, chair of the MIPI Alliance Automotive Subgroup and the Automotive BoF. “This call for participation helps ensure we cast a wide net to capture expertise to aid with extending existing and shape future MIPI specifications and collectively help realize the vision of how connected cars and automotive applications will evolve over the next decade. Just as mobile handset manufacturers benefited from the standardization that MIPI Alliance has provided, automotive OEMs would similarly benefit.”

“Active participation of automotive OEMs, tier-one and tier-two suppliers is greatly appreciated and necessary to, for example, work out the data link requirements between surround sensors, electronic control units, actors and displays for driver assistance and autonomous driving projects beyond 2020 and incorporate them into MIPI interface specifications,” said Uwe Beutnagel-Buchner, vice-chair of the MIPI Alliance Automotive Subgroup and the Automotive BoF.

For short-distance communications (< 0.3 meters), the MIPI CSI specification is the most widely adopted in automotive camera applications; MIPI DSI is rapidly gaining adoption also. The Automotive BoF Group’s initial focus will be to examine how MIPI specifications can potentially be extended to support communication link distances up to 15 meters, and at the same time support the high data rates associated with cameras and radar sensors for autonomous driving systems.

Join the MIPI Alliance Automotive BoF Group

The MIPI Automotive BoF is seeking additional qualified experts from OEMs, tier-one suppliers, component suppliers and related companies to provide key input into current and future MIPI interface specifications. The Automotive BoF is expected to convene via teleconference on a biweekly basis, with face-to-face meetings planned as necessary.

Companies already participating in MIPI Alliance’s Automotive BoF Group include: Analog Devices, Inc.; Analogix Semiconductor, Inc.; BitSim AB; BMW Group; Cadence Design Systems, Inc.; Continental Corporation; Etron Technology, Inc.; Ford Motor Company; Genesys Logic, Inc.; Hardent Inc.; Lontium Semiconductor Corporation; Microchip Technology Inc.; Mixel, Inc.; Mobileye, an Intel Company; NVIDIA; NXP Semiconductors; ON Semiconductor; Parade Technologies Ltd.; Qualcomm Incorporated; Robert Bosch GmbH; Sony Corporation; STMicroelectronics; Synopsys, Inc.; TE Connectivity Ltd.; Tektronix Inc.; Teledyne LeCroy; Texas Instruments Incorporated; Toshiba Corporation; Western Digital and others.

ArterisIP, the supplier of silicon-proven commercial system-on-chip (SoC) interconnect IP, today announced it has joined the FDXcelerator Partner Program. This program enables SoC designers to integrate ArterisIP interconnect IP into their projects with the ability to accelerate the timing closure process for FDX-based designs. The partnership speeds the development of pioneering products in applications from automotive ADAS and machine learning to small IoT processors.

ArterisIP offerings participating in the FDXcelerator program include:

  • The Ncore Cache Coherent Interconnect IP with Ncore Resilience Package, which has been chosen by the industry’s leading automotive ADAS, autonomous driving, and machine learning SoC vendors for its power, performance, and area advantages and ISO 26262 functional safety features.
  • The FlexNoC Interconnect IP with FlexNoC Resilience Package, which is the backbone interconnect for most mobility and consumer electronics SoC designs where power consumption, performance, and cost are key design metrics.
  • The PIANO Timing Closure Package, which assists back-end timing closure with technology that works earlier in the SoC design flow, thereby reducing schedule risk.

“The addition of ArterisIP to the FDXcelerator Partnership Program has already realized benefits with the implementation of an FD-SOI automotive ADAS multi-processor SoC with fellow FDXcelerator partner Dream Chip Technologies,” said Alain Mutricy, senior vice president of product management at GF. “ArterisIP’s commitment to GF’s FDX technology enables a scalable on-chip interconnect IP technology that will help our customers meet stringent automotive safety requirements.”

“GF’s FDXcelerator program plays an important role for ArterisIP, enabling us to gain access to FD-SOI technology process and design information to enable improved automation of our interconnect timing closure assistance technology,” said K. Charles Janac, President and CEO of ArterisIP. “Interconnect timing closure assistance is becoming imperative as technologies like FD-SOI shrink feature sizes and allow ever-increasing transistor and wire densities.”

ClassOne Group, provider of semiconductor processing systems, today announced a special new financing program that seeks to give more attractive options to equipment purchasers.

ClassOne stated that the new financing program can eliminate the upfront cash outlay typically associated with equipment purchases, instead allowing more affordable and budgetable monthly payments. The new financing options will include capital leases, fair-market-value leases, term loans, payment deferrals and bridge-to-budget solutions. ClassOne has developed its new program in association with First American Vendor Finance, one of the nation’s largest and most highly respected equipment finance providers. The new financing program will be available both to current and future ClassOne customers.

“Our goal is to make it easier for users – especially budget-limited users – to acquire the tools and technology they need to achieve more profitable revenues,” said Byron Exarcos, CEO of ClassOne Group. “By integrating affordable new financing options directly into the equipment purchase process we can provide buyers with more attractive, more turnkey solutions – and put their new tools to work more quickly.”

The new financing program will be available both for ClassOne Technology and ClassOne Equipment purchases. ClassOne Technology provides new wet-chemical process tools specifically for ≤200mm wafer users, delivering advanced technology for the production of MEMs, power devices, RF, LEDs, photonics, sensors, microfluidics and other emerging technologies. ClassOne Equipment supplies the industry with certified high-quality refurbished systems, including major-name tools that cover a broad range of processing and metrology needs.

ClassOne Technology develops and produces innovative new wet-chemical equipment solutions that deliver advanced performance for the cost-conscious users of ≤200mm substrates.

Sun Chemical has entered into a license agreement to introduce a new family of molecular inks for the printed electronics market with Groupe Graham International (GGI), a world leader in user interface technologies in touch applications, and the National Research Council of Canada (NRC).

The new molecular ink technology developed by GGI and the NRC will be produced by Sun Chemical and promoted collaboratively by all three organizations. Based on ionic molecules processed through a reduction process, the new IPS family of products will offer a viable alternative to conventional polymer thick film conductive inks and serve as a low-cost alternative to nano materials.

The robust IPS family of products include silver and copper metallization options that can be applied by screen, inkjet or other high speed printing methods. The molecular inks feature sub-micron trace thickness that will enable the production of narrow traces in thin dielectric layers on a variety of applications, including: in-mold electronics (IME), printed antenna, displays, EMI/RFI and sensors.

“The IPS platform has been a multi-year development effort with the NRC and we are pleased to have its value validated by a global market leader,” said Eric Saint-Jacques, Chief Executive Officer at GGI. “We feel privileged to be working with Sun Chemical and look forward to supporting their global go-to-market initiatives with our solution design and manufacturing services.”

“We’re excited to help bring this innovative product line to the market,” said Roy Bjorlin, Global Commercial and Strategic Initiatives Director, Sun Chemical Advanced Materials. “Customers will be pleased to have an option in the marketplace that features fine lines for printed electronics. We look forward to collaborating with GGI and the NRC on this project.”

“We’re excited to enter the next phase of development,” said Thomas Ducellier, Executive Director, Printable Electronics Program, National Research Council of Canada.  “We look forward to seeing the unique attributes of the molecular ink platform address emerging market needs.”

GGI specializes in the design, engineering and manufacturing of customized electro-mechanical assemblies to deliver the optimal user interface for each specific context and environment.

The semiconductor IP market is expected to be valued at USD 6.22 billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 4.87% between 2017 and 2023, according to the new research report “Semiconductor IP Market by Design IP (processor IP, interface IP, memory IP), Source (royalty and licensing), vertical (consumer electronics, telecom, industrial, automotive, commercial), and Geography – Global Forecast to 2023,” published by MarketsandMarkets. The major factors driving this market include the advancement in multicore technology for consumer electronics sector, increasing demand for modern SoC designs leading to market growth, and growing demand for connected devices.

Consumer electronics to hold largest share of semiconductor IP market during forecast period

The increase in the use of consumer electronics in all the regions is boosting the growth of the semiconductor IP market for the consumer electronics vertical. Moreover, the markets for consumer electronic in APAC and RoW are expected to provide further growth opportunities for the market players as these regions are in a growing phase. In addition, APAC holds dominant share in the market for consumer electronics.

Processor IP to hold largest share of semiconductor IP market during forecast period

Owing to the increased demand for microprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor, and graphics processing unit across various verticals, the processor IP segment held the largest share of the semiconductor IP market in 2016, and it is expected to continue the same during the forecast period. The growth of the segment during the forecast period is attributed to the increasing application of processors in the telecom industry for 5G and in high-end cars. The market for processor IP for the automotive vertical is expected to grow at the highest CAGR between 2017 and 2023 due to increasing use of processors in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and infotainment systems.

APAC to hold largest share of semiconductor IP market during forecast period

APAC held the largest share of the market in 2016 and is likely to dominate the semiconductor IP market with the largest market share during the forecast period as well. APAC is a major market for the consumer electronics, telecom, and automotive verticals. Also, this region has become a global focal point for large investments and business expansion opportunities. Moreover, the developments in electric vehicles are expected to provide an opportunity to the growth of the semiconductor IP market in China.

Toshiba Corporation (TOKYO:6502) today announced that its board of directors has approved a further investment by Toshiba Memory Corporation (TMC), a wholly-owned subsidiary that manufactures Flash memory, in manufacturing equipment for the Fab 6 clean room under construction at Yokkaichi Operations. TMC will invest approximately 110 billion yen as a second investment in Fab 6 for the installation of additional manufacturing equipment in the Phase-1 clean room.

Production at Fab 6 will be entirely devoted to BiCS FLASH, Toshiba’s innovative 3D Flash memory. As Toshiba announced in its August 3, 2017 release “Update on Toshiba Memory Corporation’s Investment in Production Equipment for Fab 6 at Yokkaichi Operations”, TMC has previously invested approximately 195 billion yen in Fab 6 as its first investment covering the installation of manufacturing equipment in the Phase-1 clean room and the construction of the Phase-2 clean room.

Demand for TMC’s next generation 3D Flash memory devices is expected to increase significantly due to growing demand for enterprise SSDs in datacenters, SSDs for PCs, and memory for smartphones; TMC expects this strong market growth to continue in 2018. TMC’s investment timing will position it to capture this growth and expand its business.

The investment in Fab 6 will enable TMC to install manufacturing equipment for 96-layer 3D Flash memories, including deposition and etching equipment.

There is no change in the FY2017 Financial Forecast announced on Aug 10, 2017, as the impact of the additional investment will be realized after FY2018. However, the FY2017 investment plan for Toshiba Corporation Storage & Devices Solutions Segment will be revised from 330 billion yen, as announced on August 10, to 400 billion yen by accelerating a part of the investment previously planned for FY2018. This will be used with the remaining 40 billion yen in the FY2017 investment plan, bringing this second investment to 110 billion yen. As announced on March 17, 2016 announcement “Notice of Construction of New Semiconductor Fabrication Facility,” Toshiba decided on a construction and equipment investment plan for the new fabrication facility, with an estimated cost of approximately 360 billion yen from FY2016 to FY2018. The company will update its investments plans to reflect any subsequent changes.

TMC has recently asked SanDisk, its collaborator in three joint ventures for investment in manufacturing equipment at TMC’s Yokkaichi Operations, whether it intends to jointly participate in this second investment for the Phase-1 clean room in the Fab 6 facility.

HEIDENHAIN CORPORATION announces the new appointment of David Fuson, Service Operations Manager for North America.

Fuson served for over 20 years in the U.S. Navy where he acquired a strong knowledge of rotating equipment and balancing of components, as well as expert level knowledge in operation, maintenance and repair of systems.  There, he managed repair and maintenance teams, and once Navy retired, continued to utilize his skills in the private sector at Flowserve Corporation where he served as Customer Service Manager instilling a shared, enthusiastic commitment to service.

Now at HEIDENHAIN, Fuson is responsible for overseeing daily service operations, including assisting supervisors, technicians and corporate group colleagues with customer escalations and expedited solutions as needed.  Putting the “Customer First”, Fuson has also recently implemented a HEIDENHAIN Hurricane Recovery Hotline to assist those customers in Texasand Florida who experienced equipment downtime due to those disasters.

“The HEIDENHAIN organization is a place where thoughts and ideas are encouraged, and where teamwork, collaboration and attention to detail are top priorities,” said Fuson.  “I am extremely fortunate to have been chosen for the role of Service Operations Manager here, and I commit to instilling and refreshing these values in the service department every day.”

HEIDENHAIN GmbH, headquartered in Traunreut, Germany, develops and supports motion control feedback solutions for the machine tool, semiconductor, electronics assembly and test, metrology, automation, medical, energy, biotechnology and other global markets.

Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited and ON Semiconductor (Nasdaq: ON) today announced an agreement that ON Semiconductor will purchase a 30 percent incremental share of Fujitsu’s 8-inch wafer fab in Aizu-Wakamatsu, resulting in 40 percent ownership when the purchase is completed. The purchase is scheduled to be completed on April 1, 2018, subject to certain regulatory approvals and other closing conditions.

The two companies entered into an agreement in 2014, under which ON Semiconductor obtained a 10 percent ownership interest in Fujitsu’s Aizu 8-inch fab. Initial transfers began in 2014, and successful production and ramp-up of wafers began in June 2015. ON Semiconductor continues to increase demand at the Aizu 8-inch fab, and both companies determined that further strategic partnership will maximize the value both companies provide.

ON Semiconductor plans to increase ownership to 60 percent by the second half of 2018 and to 100 percent in the first half of 2020, allowing ON Semiconductor to add capacity to their global footprint. This additional capacity will allow ON Semiconductor to continue scaling its business based on demand and enable increased supply chain flexibility.

“We believe that transforming into a globally competitive company is the key for the continuous growth of the Aizu 8-inch fab. Furthering our strategic partnership with ON Semiconductor, who provides a broad product portfolio, will enable the Aizu 8-inch fab to secure future growth,” said Kagemasa Magaribuchi, president of Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited. “We believe that the growth of the Aizu 8-inch fab will contribute to maintaining and expanding a strong workforce and assist with the development of the regions.”

“We have had a strong and successful partnership with Fujitsu since announcing our investment in 2014,” said Keith Jackson, president and CEO of ON Semiconductor. “We believe furthering our partnership with Fujitsu Semiconductor will enable us to maintain our industry-leading manufacturing cost structure and also help us optimize our capital spending in coming years. This is a strategic investment for ON Semiconductor to secure additional manufacturing capacity, in support of our accelerated production needs and for revenue growth in coming years.”

Manufacturing is a core competency for ON Semiconductor, and approximately 75 percent of manufacturing operations are done internally through the company’s industry leading cost structure.

The automotive lighting market totaled US$25.7 billion in 2016 and is expected to reach US$35.9 billion in 2022, with a 5.7% CAGR between 2016 and 2022. In 2017, Yole Développement (Yole) estimates that the market should be close to US$27.7 billion.

automotive_lighting_marketsize_yole_oct2017_433x280

This growth is driven by natural LED cost erosion, increasing the LED penetration rate. Standardization of LED modules and their optimization are key factors behind decreasing costs. This has resulted in more vehicles equipped with LED technology.

The market research and strategy consulting company Yole proposes today a detailed analysis of the automotive lighting industry: Automotive Lighting: Technology, Industry and Market Trends 2017. This new report presents all automotive lighting applications and associated market revenue between 2013 and 2022. Yole’s analysts detail the integration status of different lighting technologies and systems, technical trends, market evolution and market size by application.

The automotive lighting is facing to an unexpected fast growth combined with technology revolution that will reshape the industry.

Since the first full LED headlamp was introduced in 2007, LED technology has gradually penetrated headlamp design. LED technology has allowed lighting to become a distinctive feature and enabled innovative functions like the glare free adaptive high beam introduced in 2013. LED technology use had been limited to high-end vehicles and has had to compete with traditional light sources, namely halogen and high-intensity discharge (HID/Xenon). Improved LED performance, lower power consumption and flexible design were the first enablers. Then, cost reductions helped LED technology spread to all vehicle categories.

Automotive lighting is driven by exterior lighting and especially headlamps, generating more than two-thirds of the total market revenue. Rear lighting is the second largest area, representing 17% of total market revenue. Interior lighting represents almost 10% of revenue but growth is expected to be linked to the development of autonomous vehicles and the creation of vehicles as «living homes». Other types of lighting, such as fog lamps, CHMSL or small lamps, comprised the remaining 7% of revenue in 2016.

“More than 100 million vehicles will be sold in 2022, but this has only a limited impact on the lighting market”,comments Pierrick Boulay, Technology & Market Analyst at Yole, in his article published on i-micronews: The automotive lighting industry will be worth $36B in 2022. He adds: “The main reason for lighting growth is that the penetration of LED technology is spreading from high-end cars to mid-range and low-end cars. LED technology propagation and more generally SSL technologies will enable the development of new functionalities.”

Yole’s analysts offer you today a comprehensive overview of this industry, its challenges, its supply chain and key figures. Automotive lighting industry is clearly showing remarkable technical advances including emerging technologies based on microLEDs, LCDs and lasers, explain the consulting company in this report. AFLS architecture and interaction with sensors are also part of this evolution and well described.