X-FAB enhances automotive-grade high-voltage CMOS foundry

16th May 2024

Harry Fowle

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X-FAB has updated its XP018 high-voltage CMOS semiconductor fabrication platform with new 40V and 60V high-voltage primitive devices, which feature an extended SOA for improved operational robustness.

These 2nd generation high-voltage primitive devices exhibit up to a 50% reduction in RDSon figures compared to the previous version. This offers an alternative which is better positioned to address certain key applications - particularly where devices’ footprints need to be reduced and unit costs minimised.

The XP018 platform is a modular 180nm high-voltage EPI technology solution, based on a low mask count 5V single-gate core module. It supports an extended temperature range of -40 to 175°C and offers a wide range of optional devices and modules, including high-gain bipolar devices, standard and high-capacitance MIM capacitors, multi-threshold (Vt) options, Schottky diodes, and depletion devices.

The platform is supported by high-reliability automotive NVM solutions, such as embedded Flash, EEPROM, and OTP, making it specifically designed for cost-sensitive and robust automotive, industrial, and medical applications.

In addition to the new 40V/60V devices, the platform has been enhanced by the inclusion of 5.3V Zener diodes. The new low-leakage Zener diode is designed to effectively protect the gate oxide in critical applications, such as Wide Bandgap gate driver applications. Furthermore, there are also new isolated drain high-voltage devices up to 24V and a new 1.8 V medium Vt option on offer.

Tilman Metzger, Product Line Manager for High-Voltage at X-FAB, comments: “With this update of our XP018 platform we are demonstrating X-FAB’s commitment to enhancing established technologies. XP018 has been in production for more than a decade and still sees widespread adoption for new designs from our focus market segments: automotive, industrial and medical. The new competitive high-voltage devices and updates will enable our customers to implement more innovative and cost-effective products. Designers utilising the new XP018 primitive devices have access to comprehensive PDK support across major EDA platforms like Cadence, Siemens EDA, Synopsys, ensuring seamless integration and optimisation for a range of applications.”

A new medium Vt standard cell library is scheduled to be released in Q3 2024.