Micron for the Smart car: the importance of good memory

Giorgio Scuro, Micron: "Today the car is the main driver of memory technologies. To align with market times and automotive industry requirements, we need to rethink the definition of memory and the design process"

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micron memory

by Virna Bottarelli | According to Giorgio Scuro, vice-president automotive division of MicronAccording to Giorgio Scuro, vice-president of Micron's automotive division, the role of semiconductors, which is already crucial for enhancing the capabilities and functions of cars - think of airbags, anti-lock braking and cameras - is destined to grow: "While in the past the automotive market used semiconductors based on mature process technologies, today the requirements for power, area and computing performance can only be met by cutting-edge technologies and the required level of processing performance is so high that we can define cars as data centres on wheels". For the memory industry, in which Micron is a key player, this brings about a significant change: "Today the car is the main driver of memory technologies. In order to align with market times and the requirements of the automotive industry, we need to reconsider the definition of memory and the design process". In short, not only are state-of-the-art semiconductors required, but it is essential that these are manufactured for extended lifetimes, with the least possible changes to manufacturing flows and processes. "Beyond power, performance and manufacturing challenges, the need to adapt to safety and security requirements is also growing at the system level - addressing these factors requires commitment and investment."

The electrification of the car also has a major impact on memory technologies, and semiconductor power consumption has become a hot topic for electronics engineers. As Scuro further explains, "Delivering processing performance of over 600 Tera operations per second requires significant power, which can be as high as 1kW. It's a level of power consumption that negatively affects vehicle autonomy, where consumption is not limited to processors alone, but is also associated with the vehicle's memory: the amount of software, which is eventually stored in memory, in a high-end vehicle can reach up to 300 million lines of code. Think of it as many more lines than are required by an aircraft."

Precisely because the power consumption of memory in a car is considerable, Micron focuses on technologies of that provide an optimal trade-off between power and performance: "Advanced memories used in vehicles offer improved power consumption due to the latest memory standards and advanced semiconductor process technology: typically, when more advanced process nodes are used, we see proportionate improvements in power efficiency, which is essential for autonomous cars, which must also be power efficient when running energy-intensive AI applications." The immense amount of power required for today's cars also presents engineers with the challenge of thermal management: "The energy required for intensive computing and processing creates physical heat. In data centers, we can manage the heat with systems like fans and water cooling, but in cars there aren't many opportunities to get the heat out of the vehicle. Also, drivers don't want to hear noisy fans."

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