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MagnaChip Offers 0.13-Micron/18V Process for LCD and OLED TV Drivers

February 19, 2019 by Scott McMahan

MagnaChip Semiconductor Corporation announced that it now offers foundry customers its second-generation 0.13-micron 18V high voltage process technology. The technology, which is dedicated for designing source drivers for LCD and OLED televisions, offers fewer steps, allows suitable high-voltage device design rules to shrink chip size, and adds a new device for DAC block design that the first generation process does not offer.

The source driver IC is the primary driver IC in a television that controls signals and converts data from the timing controller into proper analog signals, and then transfers them to LCD or OLED panels.

According to the company, to support high definition for LCD and OLED panels, low power consumption, and super slim designs for those panels, source driver ICs increasingly demand additional channels and rapid transmission speeds. MagnaChip's Foundry Services Group has developed its second generation 18V high voltage process technology to improve and enhance source driver ICs in speed and integration and to address these market needs. This second generation process has an improved 1.8V device current performance for high speed.

Furthermore, it added LHL (Logic High-Voltage Logic), Vgs=18V, Vds=1.8V, device suitable for DAC (Digital to Analog Converter) block designs to the prior device list (1.8V, 9V and 18V).

The new process applies the same design rules for both the top and internal metals, thereby enabling highly integrated designs. MagnaChip also advanced high-voltage device design rules to achieve about a seven-percent reduction in chip size.

Additionally, MagnaChip is simplifying all its platform technologies to enhance the competitiveness of its process technology. The second generation process eliminated two process steps, achieving a competitive number of process steps.

Moreover, it offers various optional modules including MIMs, resistors, BJTs and capacitors, that designers can choose to suit their design needs and specifications.

"The second generation 0.13 micron 18V high voltage process technology is dedicated for high performance source driver IC for LCD and OLED TVs," said MagnaChip CEO YJ Kim. "We will continue to improve the performance of our high voltage technology to lead the high voltage sector and help our customers stay competitive in the market."