At the Automotive Chiplet Forum 2024 in Ann Arbor, imec announced that Arm, ASE, BMW Group, Bosch, Cadence Design Systems, Siemens, SiliconAuto, Synopsys, Tenstorrent, and Valeo have joined the Automotive Chiplet Program (ACP). This program brings together the global automotive ecosystem in a pre-competitive research initiative to evaluate chiplet architectures and packaging technologies that meet the automakers’ requirements for high-performance computing and safety. The goal is to extend the benefits of chiplet technology – such as flexibility, performance, and cost savings – to the entire industry.

Since the 1970s, automakers have been using chip technology, but traditional architectures are reaching their limits. Chiplets, modular chips designed for specialized functions, offer a solution. They enable rapid adjustments and upgrades, reduce development time and costs, and provide advantages over monolithic approaches. Bart Placklé, Vice President of Automotive Technologies at imec, emphasizes the need for a common chiplet standard to be economically viable.

The automotive industry has been cautious so far, as solutions must meet stringent requirements for robustness, reliability, cost, performance, and energy efficiency. Imec’s ACP addresses these challenges through a collaborative research effort based on imec’s expertise in 2.5D and 3D packaging. Chiplets enable flexible component integration, limit the risk of supplier dependency, and improve supply chain resilience. The pre-competitive insights from the program are intended to feed into further R&D and product innovations, accelerating the partners’ long-term roadmaps.