STMicroelectronics Licenses Leading-Edge Smart Power Process Technologies to Bosch Automotive

STMicroelectronics has signed an agreement with Bosch, wherein Bosch will license ST's state-of-the-art BCD8 (Bipolar-CMOS-DMOS) process technology, enabling it to design and manufacture highly integrated automotive products using this leading-edge technology in its own wafer fabrication plant. The move continues a close strategic partnership between the two companies extending over the last 20 years. For the first time, ST is also to share with Bosch its HVCMOS8 high-voltage CMOS process.

BCD8 is the most recent implementation of ST's proprietary smart-power technology, which allows analog, digital and power circuits to be integrated on a single chip. This latest version of the unique process, introduced in 2006, brings a dramatic improvement in the semiconductor manufacturing process. The BCD8 process uses 0.18-micron technology, from the 0.35-micron process of BCD6, and provides the possibility of producing a complete system—including the MCU—on a single piece of silicon for the first time. This exceptional level of integration will deliver important benefits to Bosch's automotive systems in lower costs, increased reliability and more compact packaging.

In addition to using the process technology, Bosch will also license ST's BCD8 design rules, to enable Bosch's in-house design teams to create products autonomously, for production in their wafer fab.

Gate density in the logic portions of a BCD8-manufactured chip shows a four times improvement over the previous (BCD6) technology, and is thought to be higher than in any other smart-power process. The power capability remains the same as in BCD6 despite the smaller lithography, and the established benefits of the technology—including the excellent high-voltage capability, protection against hostile environmental events, wide temperature range and automotive-grade reliability—are maintained.

Bosch is expected to make use of it across the whole range of engine management, transmission control, occupant protection, chassis system and other applications. The HVCMOS8 high-voltage CMOS technology that ST is also licensing to Bosch, is typically used in applications such as sensor interfaces and analog processing.

STMicroelectronics