LG Innotek announced on the 19th that it is aggressively entering the automotive components market with its new vehicle application processor (AP) module. This means expanding its existing automotive component business into the automotive semiconductor field.
The vehicle AP module is a semiconductor component mounted inside vehicles to integrate and control automotive electronic systems such as advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and digital cockpits. It acts as the brain of the vehicle, similar to a computer central processing unit (CPU).
With the advancement of connected cars, including autonomous driving, the demand for AP modules is rapidly increasing each year. This is due to the limitations of processing vast amounts of data with existing semiconductor chips based on electronic circuit boards (PCBs).
The vehicle AP module showcased by LG Innotek has a compact size as its greatest strength. More than 400 components, including an integrated chip set (SoC), memory semiconductors, and power management semiconductors (PMIC), are embedded in a single module measuring 6.5×6.5 cm.
Applying this product can reduce the size of the mainboard compared to existing designs, increasing the design freedom for vehicle manufacturers. Additionally, the internal components of the module are highly integrated, shortening the signal distance between components and further enhancing the control performance of the module.
LG Innotek plans to continue enhancing its vehicle AP module. By the end of this year, it aims to improve its heat dissipation performance to operate in environments up to 95℃ and significantly cut the development period for AP modules through warpage prediction via virtual simulation.
LG Innotek is actively promoting the vehicle AP module targeting global semiconductor corporations, including those in North America, with the goal of commencing mass production in the second half of this year.
Moon Hyuk-soo, CEO of LG Innotek, said, "The development of the vehicle AP module has allowed us to accelerate the expansion of our semiconductor components business. We will continue to introduce products that provide differentiated customer value and become an innovative partner trusted by global customers."