Automotive Electronics: Specialty ESD and I/O solutions

Modern vehicles are powered by silicon. From safety-critical control units to infotainment, driver assistance systems and electrification, the automotive sector relies on reliable and robust semiconductor design.

Automotive ICs face some of the most demanding electrical environments in the industry. Designers must comply with strict ESD (Electrostatic Discharge), EOS (Electrical Overstress), and EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility) standards. Whether built on BCD, high-voltage CMOS, or FinFET nodes, these chips require tailored ESD and I/O solutions.

Sofics delivers silicon-proven IP that helps automotive IC designers achieve performance, reliability, and compliance, across sensor interfaces, cameras, infotainment, and power domains.

Custom Requirements for Automotive ICs

Standard foundry I/O and ESD libraries often fall short in automotive environments. Sofics IP addresses the specific challenges automotive SoC designers face:

Low-parasitic capacitance for high-speed interfaces
Infotainment systems, camera modules, and ADAS use high-speed data interfaces that require ESD protection with minimal capacitive loading.
High robustness in harsh environments
Automotive chips are exposed to wide temperature swings, voltage spikes, and EMI. Many applications demand ESD protection far beyond the JEDEC standard.
Low leakage for energy-sensitive subsystems
Advanced driver-assistance systems and always-on sensors require ultra-low leakage protection for efficient standby operation.
Special I/O for sensor and battery interfaces
Some automotive chips need protection solutions compatible with battery-connected pins, LIN/CAN transceivers, or fail-safe sensor inputs.
5V and higher voltage tolerance
Automotive ICs designed on BCD and high-voltage CMOS processes often require interfaces that run at a voltage of 5V, 24V or more than 40V without compromising ESD protection.

Sofics IP for Automotive Applications

Key Focus Areas

High-speed interfaces
SerDes, Ethernet, camera, and memory I/Os benefit from low-capacitance clamps for signal integrity.
Robust protection for harsh conditions
Sofics IP meets or exceeds AEC-Q100 requirements for ESD, EOS, and EMC.
BCD and high-voltage compatibility
Support for high voltage: 5V and 60V operation in power and analog domains.
Compact ESD cells for area efficiency
Designs requiring high robustness benefit from our optimized ESD cells that minimize silicon area.

Process technology covered

Mature CMOS (0.5um to 180nm)
Mainstream CMOS (130nm to 65nm)
Advanced CMOS (40nm to 22nm)
FinFET technology
SOI technology
BCD technology

Foundries covered

TSMC
UMC
GlobalFoundries
Tower Semiconductor
KeyFoundry
IDM / proprietary fabs

Examples of automotive electronics integrating Sofics IP

Sofics IP has been integrated in a wide range of automotive ICs:

Camera and Lidar interfaces
High-speed data connections protected without degrading performance
(3 customers)
Engine sensors and control systems
Proven ESD IP for harsh, high-voltage environments
(10 customers)
Infotainment and displays
Robust yet compact solutions for screen and LED control
(3 customers)

Testimonial: Renesas – ZMDI

Application-specific ICs for automotive and industrial electronics, …
TSMC 0.18um BCD process

Frank Shulze, Business Line Manager, Sensing & Automotive

“Sofics’ clamps were superior in the EMC test, as well as in parameters such as meeting flexible clamping voltage specifications”

Testimonial: Renesas – Analog Devices

World leader in data conversion and signal conditioning technology
TSMC 0.18um BCD process

David Robertson, vice president of analog technology

“We need strong ESD protection for 60V without compromising the mixed signal performance of the products. Sofics offers a proven solution which is to be adapted to our needs.”

These are examples from many IP delivery projects. If you did not find the example you were looking for you should contact us (info@sofics.com) to discuss your application and requirements.