What kind of semiconductors are needed for automobiles?

Source: Content compiled by Semiconductor Industry Watch (ID: icbank) from The Sankei Shimbun of Japan, Author: Hideyuki Takane, thank you.

Not only EVs and hybrid fuel vehicles, but also semiconductors are indispensable components for pure fuel vehicles. This is a fact that people can see for all to see.

After X-ray observation of the engine ECU (Electronic Control Unit, hereinafter referred to as the "ECU") known as the "Black Box"), the basic structure of the engine can be clearly seen. It is connected to an external connector by a wire that extends to the upper part. The picture above shows the ECU for motorcycles, and the ECU for automobiles has also been miniaturized, and the basic structure is the same. (Photo: Sankei Shimbun)

In the case of the recent Clean Diesel Vehicle, the model is as follows: for every combustion, about five times of fuel is injected, the fuel is used efficiently, the torque is pulled out, and although the amount of fuel is increased, the clean gas can be discharged as much as possible.

Although controlled in milliseconds, it is a breeze for computers. In fact, the "busiest work" is the fuel injector that receives computer signals.

The Gasoline Engine also injects fuel multiple times, adjusting the Valve Timing by synchronizing the ignition time of the Spark Plug and the Camshaft Sprocket. In addition, the speed at the time, the number of engine revolutions, the water temperature, the oil temperature, the throttle opening, and the degree to which the driver's foot is stepping on the accelerator pedal (acceleration) are read to judge the driver's acceleration requirements and perform the necessary controls.

In addition, the fuel saving effect is smoothly achieved by working well with the gearbox. Presumably, many readers will think that a high-performance computer is needed to achieve the above effects. However, since the ECU is an on-board dedicated control unit, its computing power is not so high compared to today's computers.

Semiconductors are not only used in ECUs, but almost all electronic components require semiconductors. The Collision Mitigation Brake system (Advanced Driving Assistance System) and lane departure warning system used in the ADAS (Advanced Driving Assistance System) and the camera of the lane departure warning system are also equipped with image sensors (CMOS), laser sensors, millimeter wave radar transmitters, etc. are made of semiconductors.

In addition, there are microcontrollers for power window motors (which can make the windows switch with one touch) and microcontrollers for controlling torque. Therefore, it is different from the previous traditional style, if you change the model slightly, the appearance is the same parts, but in many cases it will not work. This is precisely because of the microcontroller, which is why recent auto parts orders are precisely managed through chassis numbers.

Semiconductors are "ubiquitous" in cars not only because of the increased functionality of cars, but also because of the control of car weight by gradually simplifying the wire harness arranged in the car. In the era of analog signaling, there were high-end models with a wiring harness weight of more than 100 kg alone; after entering the digital era, they will be liberated from the wiring harness independent of each component, thus achieving a significant weight reduction effect.

As we all know, the Throttle Value and accelerator pedal no longer use wires (Wire Cable) to transmit signals, but to transmit electrical signals. Nowadays, even the brake system and steering system have begun to use drive by wire. This enables complex, free vehicle control. The above is also a technology that can be achieved precisely because of the use of semiconductors.

Nowadays, automotive headlight systems have also been modularized, and semiconductors have also been used in body accessories such as ALH (Adaptive LED Headlights).

As a digression, there have been many car thefts due to the high performance of car headlamps and the inclusion of semiconductors. The modus operandi is roughly as follows: connecting to the main ECU using a signal cable that conveys the headlamps, unlocking the doors, starting the engine, and stealing a car in just a few minutes. It was precisely because of the use of semiconductors and the improvement of the electronic control system in the car that the crime was successful. While attempts are being made to prevent crime from occurring by improving security, the truth is to no avail.

What is the essence of semiconductors?

Through the above analysis, the reader should understand that semiconductors are indispensable products for automobiles. So, what exactly is a semiconductor, it is still not very clear, we will explain in detail below.

Semiconductors are electronic components with a wide variety of types. According to performance, it is roughly divided into three categories:

One is a transistor that amplifies signals and currents.

The second is the switch, which has the effect of circulating and cutting off the current. It is the exchanger used for inverters (Invertor, which is used to control the current of the drive motors of EVs and hybrid vehicles).

The third is a diode, which is used to adjust the current. It can not only adjust the current in the line, but also can be used to convert alternating current to direct current and other directions. LEDs (light-emitting diodes, which have been widely used as light sources) are also a type of semiconductor.

IC is an integrated line that embeds transistors, diodes, capacitors and resistors, and cables that are extremely important for electronic circuits into silicon wafers, not only for analog lines, but also for transit in the ECU, such as converting to digital signals and communicating them to the CPU.

LSI (Large Scale Integration) is a large-scale integrated line that makes the line embedded in the IC function more fine. The CPU used for computing in computers, smartphones, automotive ECUs, etc. is a representative LSI. In recent years, thanks to the development of micro-scaling, the effect of energy saving and efficiency has been remarkable, and the performance of computers and smart phones has also been accelerated.

However, the on-board semiconductor working environment is harsh, and some areas even have the phenomenon of death of people in the car due to vehicle operation failure, so reliability and durability are the most important, in terms of priority, how to improve the performance of semiconductor chips is ranked behind.

Japanese companies still have an advantage in most raw materials, materials, and production equipment

Once Japan ranked first in the world in the semiconductor manufacturing industry, but repeatedly lost to other countries in price, and now except for semiconductors in a few special fields, Japan has fallen into the situation of relying entirely on imported semiconductors. As far as finished semiconductor products are concerned, Japan is inferior to overseas semiconductor manufacturers, but Japanese companies are very active in upstream raw materials and production equipment.

As everyone knows, the Japanese government has restricted the export of three chemicals to South Korea that are extremely important for the production of semiconductors- hydrogen fluoride, photoresist, and fluoropolyimide, which has made the South Korean government "busy". However, Japanese companies have more than three materials to advantage. Japanese material manufacturers and equipment manufacturers have a great advantage in the field of materials and equipment necessary for semiconductors.

As far as silicon wafers, which are the basis of semiconductors, Japan supplies more than half of the world's quantities. In addition, Japanese companies are also developing other new semiconductor basic materials, such as higher performance silicon carbide, gallium nitride, and more cost-competitive gallium oxide.

However, today, the consumption of silicon wafers in Japan accounts for only 10% of production. In the future, Japan should also inject more energy into expanding domestic semiconductor production.

The development of future in-vehicle ECUs shows a polarization trend

Nowadays, there are not only engine ECUs on the car, but also ECUs for the interior facilities and chassis, and through these ECUs, the signal is transmitted to the microcontroller located at the corresponding end for control. In the future, in order to achieve more precise control, how should it be developed, let us wait and see.

As far as the proposal for the future development of in-vehicle networks is concerned, there are two main ones. First, build a network with a high-performance ECU as the core. Prepare one or two HPCs (High Performance Computers) and control the terminal microcontroller via an ECU for transit.

Second, by improving the performance of the microcontrol, the burden on the ECU is reduced. By improving the safety of the microcontroller, it will also play a part of the role of the ECU.

The above proposal is proposed by auto parts manufacturers? Or is it proposed by semiconductor manufacturers? Their positions are very different. If it is proposed by auto parts manufacturers, it means that they are trying to modularize the parts to reduce the number of parts, and then achieve the goal of high added value and high price. If it is proposed by semiconductor manufacturers, it means that they hope to carry more semiconductors to increase production and achieve the goal of stable operation.

The development of in-vehicle networks is also divided into wired and wireless directions. In addition to safety considerations, there are many other pros and cons (such as the pros and cons of noise prevention measures), and it is expected that the best plan will be developed in the future according to the price range and region of the car.

Assuming that the production of fuel vehicles continues in the next decade, it can be predicted that the electronic control parts will be developed on the basis of the current two generations. Even EVs no longer require sophisticated control elements such as engines and gearboxes, and the control of the body will be more precise.

Nowadays, the electrification of automobiles is advancing by leaps and bounds, and the general concern is on motors and batteries. But neither the engine nor the motor can work without semiconductors. For cars, semiconductors are the equivalent of the human brain, eyes, and ears. If Japan is to continue to make a difference in the automotive industry in the future, it is crucial to master semiconductors.