Ams' new foundry ecosystem provides solutions for ASIC design services, testing and manufacturing

     Ams AG, a leading global provider of high-performance sensor solutions, announced at CDNLive EMEA that it has further expanded its wafer foundry ecosystem in collaboration with Fraunhofer IIS and RoodMicrotec. A tripartite partnership now offers Oems, system integrators and innovative startups another reliable and competitive solution for application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) development, assembly, testing and product certification services.

     There is no doubt that ASics offer several advantages over discrete solutions, as their optimized performance and dimensions help reduce system costs and ensure a stable and reliable long-term supply of critical components. In addition, ASIC builds a competitive advantage by protecting critical IP and system technologies in a strong way. However, despite these advantages, Oems, system integrators and start-ups have always struggled with the development and deployment of ASics due to a lack of in-house chip design capabilities. Ams' foundry ecosystem significantly lowers the barriers to entry for these companies.

     Fraunhofer IIS, a long-time partner of AMS, has proven design experience, technology and application-specific knowledge to help customers design ASics. Specialized analog and sensor wafer fabrication technologies to support industrial, automotive and medical applications will be provided by AMS. Assembly and testing services for software and hardware development will be provided by AMS and RoodMicrotec, which will also provide comprehensive product certification and failure analysis services. As a result, customers can entrust AMS and its foundry ecosystem partners with supply chain management of proprietary ASics to order quality wafers with minimal lead times and optimized cash flow.

     Dr. Norbert Weber, Head of Integrated Circuits and Systems at Fraunhofer IIS, said: "We will bring our long-standing design experience to this new partnership, and customers will also benefit from A large number of IP modules developed by AMS, such as A/D converters, 3D Hall sensors and ISM band wake-up receivers."

     With more than 45 years of core competence in semiconductor back-end services, RoodMicrotec has the expertise and equipment to enable the industrial production of ASics, including test development and certification according to international standards such as the AEC-Q100 Automotive equipment certification standard. When it comes to handling on-site failures, RoodMicrotec offers a comprehensive RMA process that is fully transparent to the customer. With regard to comprehensive failure analysis, the Technical Analysis Laboratory provides all the most advanced non-destructive and destructive physical analysis methods to quickly identify the root cause of defects and propose countermeasures in the 8D report.

     Martin Sallenhag, CEO of RoodMicrotec, said: "In order to accelerate our products to market while meeting the highest quality requirements, we recommend the use of the latest methods, such as' safe startup 'and' robust verification ', which take into account the application environment and system anomalies when developing tests and certifications."

     The AMS foundry ecosystem drives innovation and provides solutions for sensors, microelectromechanical systems and power management systems in all markets and geographies. In addition, AMS and its ecosystem partners will provide PDK, IP modules and consulting and certification services, design support, design services and all-inclusive solutions.

     Markus Wuchse, General Manager of AMS Foundry, said: "With the support of our partners Fraunhofer IIS and RoodMicrotec, customers of all sizes can access competitive ASIC solutions, even if they may not have released any ASIC products yet. Interested customers are welcome to visit the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits (FraunhoferIIS) in Erlangen on October 24, 2017 for more information on our reliable and comprehensive ASIC solutions."