Silicon Storage Technology (SST), a subsidiary of Microchip Technology and United Microelectronics Corporation announced the completion of full qualification and immediate release to production of SST’s embedded SuperFlash Gen 4 (ESF4) with full Automotive Grade 1 (AG1) capability on UMC’s 28HPC+ process platform.
The ESF4 was developed through a close partnership between SST and UMC. It provides embedded non-volatile memory (eNVM) for automotive controllers, with full AG1 performance and reliability, while using significantly fewer additional masking steps compared to other foundries’ 28nm High-k/Metal-Gate Stack (HKMG) eFlash solutions. This reduction in masking steps results in cost advantages and improved manufacturing efficiency for customers.
The announcement targets customers currently using 40nm ESF3 AG1 platforms, encouraging migration to the 28nm ESF4 AG1 platform as they scale to more advanced process nodes.
Mark Reiten, Vice President of Microchip’s licensing business unit, stated that the solution addresses automotive requirements for efficiency, faster time to market, and compliance with industry standards, with the 28nm AG1 platform now ready for customer production designs.
Steven Hsu, Vice President of Technology Development at UMC, noted that growing demand for reliable data storage and high-capacity updates in connected, autonomous, and shared vehicles drove the scaling of SuperFlash to 28nm. The ESF4 is fully integrated into UMC’s 28HPC+ platform, allowing customers to use existing models and IP while advancing to this node.
Key Performance and Reliability Metrics
- Qualified under Automotive Electronics Council (AEC) Q-100 Grade 1 for junction temperatures from -40°C to +150°C.
- Read access time less than 12.5 ns.
- Endurance exceeding 100,000 cycles.
- Data retention greater than 10 years at 125°C.
- Requires only 1-bit ECC.
- A 32Mb macro qualified at AG1 conditions with zero bit failures (no ECC applied) and peak yield of 100%.
Automotive controller shipment volumes continue to increase, with embedded reliable eNVM required for code and data storage. The ESF4 on UMC’s 28HPC+ AG1 platform supports applications including high-capacity controller firmware with over-the-air (OTA) update capability.
Customers interested in SST’s SuperFlash technology should visit the SST website or contact a regional SST sales executive. Those interested in UMC’s offerings should visit the UMC website for details on pricing and availability.
