SK Hynix’ Foundry Unit Rolls Out BCD Process
SK keyfoundry, the logic foundry unit of SK Hynix, continues to expand its process offerings.
By Mark LaPedus
SK keyfoundry, the logic foundry unit of South Korea’s SK Hynix, continues to expand its efforts in the specialty foundry business.
In its most recent announcement, SK keyfoundry has launched its fourth-generation 0.18µm Bipolar-CMOS-DMOS (BCD) process. BCD processes combine bipolar, CMOS, and DMOS transistors in a single chip for use in complex, power-demanding applications. BCD processes enable new power devices for automotive, mobile and other applications.
SK keyfoundry also plans to enter the next-generation power semiconductor market. It is developing both gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) technologies.
SK keyfoundry is worth watching, given its ties to memory giant SK Hynix. In the semiconductor world, foundry vendors manufacture chips for other companies in large manufacturing facilities called fabs.
In 2020, MagnaChip, a South Korean chip vendor, exited the foundry business. MagnaChip sold its foundry unit, along with an 200mm fab in Cheongju, South Korea, to an entity called Key Foundry for $350.6 million.
At that point, Key Foundry became an independent foundry company. Then, in 2021, SK Hynix acquired Key Foundry, based in Cheongju. Earlier this year, Key Foundry changed its corporate name to SK keyfoundry.
Prior to the acquisition of SK keyfoundry, SK Hynix had a small foundry unit. With the acquisition, SK Hynix expanded its efforts here. SK keyfoundry operates a 200mm fab with the capacity of producing 100,000 wafers per month. The foundry vendor offers several specialty processes, including BCD.
BCD isn’t new. The technology was originally invented in 1985 by SGS, now called STMicroelectronics. “Primarily designed to simplify the control of power devices in the automotive, industrial, and consumer areas, BCD technology combines three types of transistors on the same die: Bipolar for analog functions, CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) for digital functions, and DMOS (Double-diffused MOS) for power functions and high voltage regulation,” according to Yole Group analysts Sylvain Hallereau and Belinda Dube in a recent report. “This 3-in-1 integration offers the considerable advantage of a reduction in PCB footprint, chip area, and electromagnetic interferences.”
BCD processes are used to manufacture chips in both 200mm and 300mm fabs. These processes are more mature technologies, generally covering nodes from 0.6µm to 40nm.
The technology is used to develop several chip types, such as battery charger ICs, power management ICs (PMICs) and others. In another application, Weebit Nano’s embedded ReRAM device was recently taped out, or manufactured, using DB HiTek’s 130nm BCD process. DB HiTek is another South Korean foundry vendor. ReRAM is a next-generation memory technology.
STMicroelectronics, TI and other chip vendors have developed BCD processes. These companies develop their own chips using this process. Several foundry vendors provide BCD processes, such as TSMC, UMC, GlobalFoundries, Tower and others.
SK keyfoundry’s new fourth-generation 0.18µm BCD process delivers a 20% performance improvement over the previous version. The process offers power devices up to 40V, with various power device gate inputs such as 3.3V, 5V and 18V.
Applications include PMICs for servers and laptops as well as chips for mobile chargers, audio amplifiers and automotive gate drivers. The BCD process meets the automotive quality standard AEC-Q100 Grade 1 specification.
“SK keyfoundry will continue to strengthen its competitiveness in semiconductor process technology for power and work closely with our customers to expand its business into a variety of applications that are expected to see high growth in the future, such as PMICs for AI servers, DDR5 PMIC, and automotive gate driver IC,” said Derek D. Lee, chief executive of SK keyfoundry.