Dongbu HiTek Accelerates Drive into Automotive Electronics ICs Winning AEC-Q100 Certifications for Process Technologies and IP

World's leading specialized foundry qualifies 180nm Mixed-Signal Process and EEPROM IP to automotive criteria, begins offering automotive package

SEOUL - Oct. 27th, 2010   --  Dongbu HiTek today confirmed that it has fully qualified its advanced 180nm Mixed-Signal (MS180) Process and EEPROM Intellectual Property (IP) to meet the rigorous quality/reliability criteria set forth in the automotive AEC-Q100 'Grade 0' standard. Moreover, the company's 0.35um BCDMOS (BD350) process and other Non-Volatile Memory (NVM) modules are currently being qualified to the same AEC-Q100 stress level. The company also confirmed that it has begun offering an automotive package for selected CMOS and BCDMOS processes with plans to add more processes in the near future.

"As one of the very first foundries to earn the ISO/TS 16949 quality/reliability certification in 2003, we have steadfastly expanded our capabilities to manufacture automotive ICs and have invested significant time and resources into this effort" said H.S. Park, Dongbu HiTek VP of Quality & Reliability. "We believe that meeting the most demanding criteria for automotive ICs is good for our entire business as it instills a high-quality/reliability mindset across all aspects of our organization." He noted that today's announcement underscores Dongbu HiTek's commitment to specialize in manufacturing automotive ICs just as it has already successfully specialized in manufacturing ICs for mobile and display applications.     

Citing an example of the competitive advantages his company can deliver to automotive OEMs, Park said, "Our enhanced IP for implementing EEPROM NVM functions in our BD350 process offers the flexibility to finely trim analog parameters such as voltages and currents in the package to reduce development time by up to six months. These NVM-enabled chips will operate reliably for more than 10 years at temperatures up to 150°C, as it supports operating voltages over the widely used 2.5-to-5.5V range." He reconfirmed that Dongbu HiTek will soon specify similar performance capabilities for its BD180 process.

Automotive Package Now Available

Now available for MS180 and BD350 process technologies, Dongbu HiTek's automotive package features 180°C SPICE models and 150°C characterizations for components and all IP and NVM blocks. It also provides differentiated automotive-specific IP blocks, two certified wafer fabs and connections through its ecosystem to automotive-savvy design houses and IP providers. Moreover, guard-ring and ESD guidelines are included plus a 15-year record retention. For further details visit www.dongbuhitek.com.

Dongbu HiTek highlighted its enhanced capabilities to win new automotive IC customers in August when the company disclosed that it was selected to manufacture Ethernet ICs for Micrel Inc., the very first company to deliver Ethernet devices qualified for automotive use per the AEC-Q100 standard. Winning the Micrel business was preceded by a meticulous quality/reliability audit with criteria set by one of the world's most respected automobile manufacturers, a longtime Micrel customer.

Well on its way to becoming a preferred foundry for automotive IC designers, Dongbu HiTek today delivers world class design/development support along with robust PDKs and IP that are second to none. The company's prowess in high-volume production, initially demonstrated in standard logic chips, is now evident in LED drivers, Class-D amplifiers, motor drive chips and an increasing range of analog- and power-intensive ICs. Dongbu HiTek holds prestigious quality/reliability certifications that eminently qualify it as a top global semiconductor foundry for the automotive industry.

About Dongbu HiTek

Headquartered in Seoul, Korea, Dongbu HiTek Co., Ltd. specializes in delivering best-in-class analog and mixed signal semiconductor technologies as well as foundry services that add high value. The Analog POWERhouseTM company fully supports IC development with a processing portfolio that encompasses Analog, BCDMOS, High Voltage CMOS, CMOS RF , CMOS Image Sensor (CIS), Display Driver IC (DDI), and NOR Flash technologies. Currently processing 200mm wafers at nodes ranging from 0.35 microns to 90 nanometers, the company complements its world class foundry capabilities with top quality design support (e.g. Intellectual Property, Design Libraries, ESD Protection), prototype development/verification, and packaging/module development. Dongbu HiTek's stock is publicly traded under 000990 on the Korea Stock Exchange. For more information, visit www.dongbuhitek.com.