Microchip Technology subsidiary Silicon Storage Technology (SST) and United Microelectronics (UMC) have released for production the SST’s embedded SuperFlash Gen 4 (ESF4) with full automotive grade 1 (AG1) capability.
SST developed ESF4 on UMC’s 28HPC+ foundry process platform, to deliver enhanced embedded non-volatile memory (eNVM) performance and demonstrated reliability for automotive controllers while simultaneously significantly reducing the number of additional masking steps versus other foundries’ 28nm High-k/Metal-Gate Stack (HKMG) eFlash offerings, bringing customers cost advantages and greater manufacturing efficiency.
“As the automotive industry rapidly advances toward more connected, autonomous, and shared vehicles, the demand for highly reliable data storage and high-capacity data updates continues to grow. This has driven customer demand for scaling SuperFlash to the 28nm process,” said Steven Hsu, Vice President of Technology Development at UMC.
Customers currently manufacturing automotive controller products using foundry 40nm ESF3 AG1 platforms are encouraged to explore the UMC 28nm ESF4 AG1 platform as they look to scale to the next process node.
Automotive controller shipment volumes continue to rapidly increase, as the transportation industry demands innovative solutions for a widening variety of vehicle applications. Embedding a highly reliable eNVM for code and data storage within the controller is essential to effectively serve this expanding market. SST’s ESF4 solution on UMC’s 28HPC+ AG1 platform is designed to support customers seeking a solution which may include supporting high-capacity controller firmware that requires over-the-air (OTA) update flexibility.
