SK keyfoundry will expand 130-nanometer (nm) process technology cooperation with German automotive chip company Elmos Semiconductor SE and supply wafers long-term through 2037.
SK keyfoundry said on the 9th it recently signed an agreement with Elmos in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, to expand 130 nm technology cooperation and for long-term wafer supply. The two companies have collaborated for the past 18 years based on the 350 nm process, and this contract broadens the scope of cooperation to the 130 nm process.
Elmos makes mixed-signal semiconductors for automobiles. Mixed-signal semiconductors process digital and analog signals together on a single chip and are used in automotive electronics systems.
SK keyfoundry's 130 nm process applies deep-trench isolation (DTI) technology to reduce electrical interference between circuits and support high-integration, high-voltage designs.
Elmos' first product using this process is the "E550.01 smart 4-channel eFuse controller." It is a semiconductor that controls electronic fuses (eFuses) to protect and manage multiple power networks in a vehicle and is applied to "zonal vehicle architecture," which divides a vehicle into zones to control electronic functions. Elmos plans to begin full-scale mass production of this product in 2027. The two companies also plan to jointly launch ultra-compact, high-efficiency eFlash memory cells.
Through this contract, SK keyfoundry will expand long-term supply relationships with automotive semiconductor customers. Elmos will secure stable wafer production capacity through 2037.
Chief Executive Lee Dong-jae of SK keyfoundry said, "We have expanded our cooperation with the automotive electronics semiconductor company Elmos to 130 nm technology," and added, "We will keep expanding development of semiconductor solutions for automotive electronics and supply of automotive semiconductors to enhance our global foundry competitiveness."