Samsung Electronics Accelerates Vehicle Semiconductor Strategy... Supplies High-Performance Memory

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[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] Samsung Electronics is consecutively supplying newly developed high-performance memory products to automobile manufacturers. Targeting the automotive semiconductor market, the company is expanding its application scope from non-memory semiconductors responsible for data computation and processing to memory as well. With the expansion of electric vehicle adoption and the popularization of autonomous driving systems, advanced semiconductor demand in the automotive industry is expected to surge, and Samsung is accelerating the integration of proven technologies from PCs and servers into automotive applications.

On the 16th, Samsung Electronics announced that it will supply advanced automotive memory solutions with enhanced performance, such as high-performance solid-state drives (SSD) and graphic DRAM, to global automobile manufacturers. Although the names of the automakers were not disclosed due to confidentiality agreements with customers, it is known that contracts have been signed with leading manufacturers.

The automotive memory solutions supplied this time include three types optimized for high-performance infotainment systems: '256GB SSD,' '2GB DDR4 DRAM,' and '2GB GDDR6 graphic DRAM,' as well as two types for autonomous driving systems: '2GB GDDR6 graphic DRAM' and '128GB UFS (Universal Flash Storage).' Samsung Electronics explained, "These products have undergone sufficient performance verification to be applied to automotive use, which prioritizes safety, by being installed in server-grade systems that store and process large-capacity, high-performance data."

Recently, in the automotive industry, as autonomous driving systems expand and in-vehicle infotainment systems become more advanced with high-resolution maps, video streaming, and high-spec games, demand for memory semiconductors comparable to servers has emerged. The 256GB SSD supplied by Samsung Electronics boasts industry-leading performance with a sequential read speed of 2100MB/s and a sequential write speed of 300MB/s.

Additionally, the 2GB GDDR6 supports data processing speeds of up to 14Gbps per pin (approximately 1 billion bits per second), enabling rapid processing of autonomous driving data. Accordingly, the company expects these products to help drivers enjoy high-spec multimedia content and drive safely. These products also operate stably in extreme environments ranging from minus 40 degrees Celsius to 105 degrees Celsius, supporting infotainment systems and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), and meet the automotive semiconductor quality standards (AEC-Q100) of the United States Automotive Electronics Council.

Han Jin-man, Vice President and Head of Strategy Marketing at Samsung Electronics' Memory Business Division, said, "With the spread of electric vehicles and the development of infotainment and autonomous driving systems, the semiconductor replacement cycle in the automotive industry has shortened from 7-8 years to 3-4 years, and performance and capacity are evolving to server-grade levels. Samsung Electronics will contribute to accelerating the autonomous driving era by timely providing advanced automotive memory solutions."

Earlier, Samsung Electronics also launched three types of advanced automotive system semiconductors last month, including 5G-based ultra-high-speed communication chips, high-performance processors for infotainment, and power semiconductors. Leveraging these products, the company plans to expand its global customer base, target the rapidly growing automotive semiconductor market, and strengthen its automotive electronics business. The UK financial information firm IHS Markit forecasts that the automotive semiconductor market size will grow from $45 billion (approximately 53 trillion KRW) this year to $110 billion (approximately 130 trillion KRW) by 2030. The demand for automotive semiconductors, which was 132.5 billion units this year, is expected to increase by an average of 8% annually, reaching 208.3 billion units by 2027.

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