GF and NXP tackle IoT and automotive markets

  • October 30, 2024
  • Steve Rogerson

GlobalFoundries and Dutch electronics company NXP Semiconductors are working together across a range of end markets including automotive, IoT and smart mobile devices.

This collaboration leverages GF’s 22FDX process technology and global manufacturing footprint to optimise the power, performance and time-to-market of NXP’s products. The 22FDX chips will be manufactured in Dresden and New York, providing NXP geographically diverse supply for its customers.

Building on the long-time relationship between NXP and GF, this will let NXP provide more compact and power-efficient products while increasing the overall performance of its systems. The companies will leverage the 22FDX platform, which optimises performance by dynamically adjusting to the lowest possible voltage, delivering low power consumption and high performance for demanding applications. Purpose-built for intelligence at the edge, 22FDX optimises energy management to deliver up to 50% higher performance and 70% less power used versus other planar CMOS technologies.

“NXP’s innovative portfolio is crucial to enabling the essential technologies at the centre of our increasingly connected world,” said Andy Micallef, executive vice president at NXP. “GF’s robust manufacturing presence for 22FDX in Germany and the USA helps support our goals of having supply control and geographic resilience in our manufacturing base.”

Niels Anderskouv, chief business officer at GF, added: “Our close collaboration for over a decade has been a testament to the strength of our shared vision and commitment.”

The 22FDX platform also increases performance per area by integrating digital, analogue, RF, power management and non-volatile memory (NVM) onto one die. With RF connectivity, 22FDX delivers responsive and reliable wireless connectivity for simple and secure connections. Integrated NVM reduces power consumption and latency while improving security, especially important given the growing memory footprint for edge AI processors. Through this integration, NXP will create a one-stop-shop platform to serve multiple markets while increasing IP reuse.

With technology qualified for automotive grade one and two applications, 22FDX ensures reliability in extreme automotive conditions. As part of GF’s AutoPro, the 22FDX platform includes temperature-resistant capabilities up to +150˚C junction temperature, which is critical to ensuring the long-term durability and safety of vehicle electronic systems.

Built on a heritage of FDX innovation, GF has a portfolio of silicon and product-proven IP for automotive, communications and IoT applications. With a secure, global supply chain, GF has shipped more than three billion FDX chips to customers worldwide from Dresden and is now also shipping from New York.

GF (www.gf.com) is a manufacturer of semiconductors with a footprint spanning the USA, Europe and Asia. NXP (www.nxp.com) has operations in more than 30 countries and posted revenue of $13.28bn in 2023.

NXP has expanded its eIQ AI and machine learning software (www.nxp.com/design/design-center/software/eiq-ml-development-environment:EIQ), making it easier and faster to deploy models such as generative AI, time series, and vision-based LLMs directly on edge devices for use across IoT, industrial, medical and automotive settings.