Tower Semiconductor selected as preferred foundry by C&S Technology in Korea for power automotive devices

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA & MIGDAL HA'EMEK, ISRAEL: Tower Semiconductor Ltd has been selected by C&S Technology in Korea as its preferred foundry to manufacture its power automotive devices.

C&S Technology, the official automotive device supplier of multimedia solutions (audio and video systems) for Hyundai & Kia Motor Company, will now supply a power device to the automotive manufacturer. The device can integrate multiple ICs that are typically independent within the vehicle, resulting in a more cost-effective solution.

As this IC is being designed for current models of automobiles, the volume ramp will be several years sooner. This customer engagement for Tower is one of several recently announced in Korea as momentum grows for its advanced Bipolar-CMOS-DMOS (BCD) power management process.

This strong focus on utilizing the innovation and accumulated design capabilities prevalent in the Korean fabless community allows Korea to strengthen their competitiveness in both the automotive and IC markets, reducing its reliance on overseas suppliers.

As more vehicles are being equipped with power, multimedia and network devices, the demand for automotive chips will increase. The percentage of electronic parts used in vehicles is expected to reach 40 percent by 2015 and over 30 percent will have semiconductors.

"We chose Tower's 0.35-micron power management 60V solution for its integration capabilities and their strong quality commitment to automotive manufacturing requirements," said, J.Y. Kim, Head of Automotive Business, C&S Technology. "In addition, the modularity of the Power BCD process gives us the ability to reuse much of our IP in future more highly integrated designs."

"Tower's modular platform with scalable voltage LDMOS is ideal for the family of automotive devices required by C&S Technology," stated Dr. Itzhak Edrei, Executive VP, Tower and Jazz Business Units. "The advanced, and we believe singular modeling capability, combined with the process flow efficiency (20-30 percent less mask layers than standard IDM offerings) provides C&S Technology a cost- effective, best-in-class technical capability.

"We are thrilled that our differentiated capability, combined with a dedicated customer support structure and our continued commitment to quality is gaining wide acceptance within a technically demanding Korean market."