Survey Are Chiplets the Future of Automotive Electronics?

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What chips does the car of the future need? Experts from five automotive chip suppliers assess the development. Clear trends are emerging—but opinions differ on one new technology.

Software increasingly defines the vehicle. And no algorithm can work without chips. 

The most important current requirements of OEM customers are summarized by Hans Adlkofer, Senior Vice President Automotive Systems at Infineon, as follows: "It's about delivery security, innovation, and faster time-to-market through complexity reduction for the customer." Key terms include powerful, energy-efficient components with high reliability, real-time capability, cybersecurity, scalability for various requirements, and software portability.

“Not Just Provide Individual Chip Components”

Semiconductor suppliers “can no longer limit themselves to simply providing individual chip components.” “Instead, it is crucial that they understand their customers' system requirements in detail,” emphasizes Sebastién Clamagirand. They should offer comprehensive solutions that combine software, semiconductors, and system knowledge, adds the Global Senior Vice President of Automotive System Engineering and Marketing at NXP.

Enrico Salvatori, Senior Vice President and President of Qualcomm Europe, also notes that "automakers today are looking for true partners for their transformation." In this context, two points are particularly important to OEMs for the software-defined vehicle: "scalable, centralized computing architectures that can evolve over time through over-the-air updates." Additionally, comprehensive and proven AI capabilities are essential.

Suppliers Seek Close Technological Collaboration

This is emphasized by Philippe Prats, Vice President EMEA and Head of Automotive Marketing and Applications at ST Microelectronics. In addition to closer collaboration to stabilize the supply chain, closer technological cooperation is also desired to advance software-defined vehicles, electric vehicles, and modern assistance systems.

The shift to the software-defined vehicle requires semiconductor manufacturers to develop integrated end-to-end solutions for chips, software, and development tools, emphasizes Aish Dubey, Vice President & General Manager, High Performance Computing SoC Business Division at Renesas. The key is the ability to decouple hardware and software, thereby enabling over-the-air updates.

Chip Market Grows

It is clear that more and more chips are being integrated into vehicles. The main drivers are easy to identify for chip suppliers: electromobility, the software-defined vehicle with the trend toward centralized architectures, and the automation of driving functions, including the necessary sensors. “Additionally, in-cabin or infotainment functions and the connection to the IoT play a significant role in the consumer's purchase decision,” says Hans Adlkofer from Infineon.

Enrico Salvatori from Qualcomm emphasizes, “In-cabin experiences as well as ADAS and automated driving functions are important drivers for semiconductor demand. “These areas require high-performance and energy-efficient computing platforms capable of running complex AI models in real-time.” The demand for computing power will continue to grow, “as AI models rapidly evolve from large language models to vision-language-action models, which require edge orchestration of multimodal inputs.”

NXP and Renesas also emphasize the importance of automation. Systems close to autonomous driving require additional radar, imaging, and lidar sensors, which are connected to the central ADAS computer via high-speed lines, according to NXP manager Clamagirand.

Requirements for SoCs Increase

Aish Dubey from Renesas says: "AI-based perception and real-time sensor fusion require SoCs that combine CPU, GPU, and NPU acceleration, while combining low power consumption with high safety standards." Hardware-based redundancy and functionality in the event of failure are also becoming increasingly important.

For assistance systems, increasingly advanced sensors, imaging techniques, and communication technologies are necessary, emphasizes ST Microelectronics. Additionally, highly efficient silicon carbide or gallium nitride power semiconductors are crucial for the powertrain of battery vehicles.

High-Performance Computer Components

Many of the mentioned aspects are directly or indirectly linked to the trend toward centralizing E/E architectures in vehicles. “By integrating functions into a smaller number of control units, the need for high-performance computing components increases, which must simultaneously meet stringent real-time requirements, be functionally safe, and protected against cyberattacks,” says Hans Adlkofer from Infineon.

While central computers and zone controllers reduce the number of control units, "at the same time, a different type of computing power and semiconductor components within central or zonal control units" is required, according to NXP.

Cross-Domain SoCs Are in Demand

Enrico Salvatori from Qualcomm says: "With this architectural development, the demand for high-performance SoCs that can cover multiple functional areas—such as ADAS and cockpit—on one platform is increasing." For example, platforms like Snapdragon Digital Chassis consolidate "functions like perception, planning, and control into unified compute blocks."

The new architecture increases the demand for high-performance SoCs that allow the integration of multiple domains, as well as for edge systems as zone controllers, says Aish Dubey from Renesas. He emphasizes that when consolidating functional domains into a single computing unit, a central aspect is the technology to adequately isolate applications with varying levels of criticality. The importance of "enhanced isolation" is also highlighted by NXP.

New Communication Structure—Without CAN Or LIN

Infineon and NXP also point out the changes in the communication structure. In the switch to service-oriented architectures, "classic vehicle signals are bundled, translated into Ethernet signals, and processed centrally." CAN or LIN will be replaced, emphasizes Sebastién Clamagirand from NXP.

"Another important aspect is the reliable power supply for all these components with intelligent, i.e., semiconductor-based, switches that ensure system functionality even in the event of a failure and replace traditional relays and fuses," says Hans Adlkofer from Infineon.

Microcontrollers With AI Tasks

Philippe Prats from ST Microelectronics adds: “Every device requires greater storage capacity to enable more complex functions and over-the-air updates.” However, as intelligence also becomes decentralized, “microcontrollers are increasingly capable of efficiently handling AI tasks while maintaining real-time capabilities and reducing the data processing load on the central computer.”

There are differing opinions among companies about the future role of chiplet technology in the automotive sector. The concept involves designing complex chips not as monolithic units, but by using specialized subcomponents, known as chiplets, which are interconnected into a complete system. This modularity is intended to enhance flexibility and scalability. Furthermore, the individual components could be produced using the technologies that are optimal for their specific functions.

Renesas Develops SoC With Chiplet Technology

Renesas has already set clear goals in this area. Earlier this year, the semiconductor supplier announced an agreement with Honda to develop a high-performance SoC for software-defined vehicles utilizing chiplet technology. It is planned for use in 0-series models in the late 2020s. Renesas is also collaborating in the Advanced-SoC-Research-for-Automotive (ASRA) consortium, which aims to bring SoC solutions based on chiplet architectures to mass-produced vehicles starting in 2030, according to Aish Dubey.

ST Microelectronics has already implemented modularity approaches in its portfolio of imaging sensors. At the same time, Philippe Prats emphasizes that automotive microcontrollers today require high efficiency, maximum safety, automotive qualifications, and cost-optimized solutions—"requirements that can effectively be met with technologies other than chiplets."

Chiplets "Not Automatically the Best Solution"

There is also skepticism at NXP. While the demand for modularity is increasing significantly, chiplets are “not automatically” the right solution. Sebastién Clamagirand points to PCIe technology, which has “proven to be an extremely successful foundational technology” in related industries. NXP anticipates “a similar partitioning of high-performance computing capacities” in vehicle platforms being introduced between 2028 and 2030.

“Plug-and-play chiplets similar to PCIe” are “still many years away” in the automotive sector due to their complexity. “However, there is great potential in adopting chiplets from the compute and AI domains of adjacent industries,” says Clamagirand. To achieve this, standardized chiplet interfaces must be created, and non-automotive providers need to be encouraged to participate.

Infineon expects the use of chiplet technology, which is already employed in complex server applications, in automobiles “in the next decade” at the earliest. It has so far not achieved the required robustness and automotive standards. To further develop it accordingly, automakers and suppliers, including Infineon, have joined forces in a project led by the organization IMEC.

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