SK Hynix is in talks to supply its memory chips for cars with German auto-component giant Bosch, TheElec has learned.
SK Hynix has completed the development of the memory chip that meets specifications requested by Bosch, people familar with the matter said.
DRAMs used in cars have increased reliability and a wider range of activation temperature than those used in consumer devices.
The new DRAM developed by the South Korean firm follows the 2nd Edition ISO26262 standard set in 2018.
ISO26262 standard for functional safety of road vehicles was set in November 2011. It spans 11 parts that deals with specification for software, verification and other requirements. The 2nd Edition of the standard adds guidelines for semiconductor design, which deals with failure rate. The failure rate increases when activation temperature is too high or when there are noises. It can also increase from the chip being too big, which equals more switching rate on them. The standard also requires error correction code blocks on the chip.
SK Hynix has had a team designated on developing memory chips for cars since 2016. There were originally nine members of the team that year but there are no near a hundred. SK Hynix vice president and head of automotive Daeyong Shim leads the team.
In August last year, Shim said the company was developing technologies such as error correction code, built-in self-test, and cyclic redundancy check for car memories. SK Hynix was also developing bit-cell technology with high heat resistance and error correction capabilities, the executive said.
According to market research firm TrendForce, DRAM with 1GB to 2GB capacities were used for in-car infotainment systems in 2020. This will increase to DRAM with 6GB and 8GB capacities in 2023, the firm said. Specification requirements for DRAMs are also increasing due to more sophisticated advanced driver assistance systems being commercialized.