Infineon moves automotive power devices to UMC

Extending its manufacturing partnership with United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) into power semiconductors for automotive applications, Infineon agreed to transfer its Smart Power Technology (SPT9) to UMC. Production at UMC's 300mm fab in Taiwan will begin early 2018.

SPT9 is a proprietary 130nm process technology of Infineon that combines microcontroller intelligence and power technology on a single die.

"We are proud to announce this milestone in our partnership with Infineon to bring SPT9 into UMC's technology roadmap," said Po-Wen Yen, CEO of UMC. "Automotive applications are a key priority for our technology, capacity and customers, and we are pleased to extend our collaboration with Infineon into state-of-the-art power semiconductors for automotive applications."

In order to satisfy the demands of automotive applications for more functionality and safety as well as compact and cost-optimised solutions, an increasing amount of digital logic is required in power semiconductors. In 2009, Infineon was the world's first semiconductor manufacturer to offer an automotive-qualified embedded power technology in 130nm technology node that combines complex digital logic circuits, sensor interfaces and power electronics. Combining building blocks that are actually manufactured in three different production process technologies enables semiconductor devices that are highly integrated and take over many tasks of other system components.

Since fewer components are required in the application, the vulnerability of automotive control systems to faults is reduced. With SPT9, even semiconductors offering massive functionality are very small in size. SPT9 applications are varied, ranging from intelligent control for small electric motors in vehicles, such as used for power window lifts, wipers, sun roofs, power seats and fan/blower control, oil and water pumps, to airbags, and audio amplifiers.

UMC is a world leading semiconductor foundry, with annual revenues exceeding $4 billion. In the 2013 global automotive semiconductor market, worth $25.1 billion, Infineon is ranked number two with a 9.6 per cent market share.