Samsung Electronics: Revolutionizing the Road Ahead

Aligning automotive innovations from all of its semiconductor business units for the first time, Samsung Electronics underscores the symbiotic potential among its diverse offerings across memory, system LSI, foundry and LED technologies. This unification solidifies Samsung’s leading position as an all-encompassing mobility solutions provider.

“IAA MOBILITY 2023 serves as an unparalleled platform for us to demonstrate the collective strength and commitment of our individual businesses, built to revolutionize the automotive industry through our expansive suite of semiconductor technologies,” said Dermot Ryan, President of Device Solutions Europe, Samsung Electronics. “Our shared vision is to collaboratively craft safer, more sustainable and profoundly interconnected automotive experiences for customers and communities worldwide.”

Pioneering Memory Advancements for Future Mobility

With future vehicles demanding advanced computing and storage capabilities, Samsung’s proven memory technologies emerge as a mainstay in accelerating data-driven mobility. At IAA MOBILITY 2023, Samsung will highlight its full lineup of memory solutions finely tuned for forthcoming automotive applications. These include LPDDR5X,² GDDR7,³ AutoSSD and UFS 3.1⁴ products that offer high-performance and high-capacity in areas such as infotainment and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) — all with certified auto-grade reliability. Building upon its robust automotive portfolio and extensive ecosystem partnerships, Samsung aims to become the largest automotive memory provider by 2025, empowering global customers to achieve fully connected mobility experiences.

Elevating the In-Car Experience With System LSI Innovations

As the automotive landscape shifts toward electrification and digitalization, in-car entertainment and safety ascend as defining attributes of next-generation vehicles. During IAA MOBILITY 2023, Samsung will present a tailored processor and sensor portfolio designed to address these evolving demands. Samsung’s Exynos Auto V920 processor, optimized for premium in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems, enables smooth playback of graphics-rich videos and games on multiple displays. Meanwhile, Samsung’s ISOCELL Auto sensors provide an exhaustive 360-degree car vision from front- (ISOCELL Auto 1H1) to rear- and surround-views (ISOCELL Auto 4AC), ensuring safety for both drivers and passengers. Extending safety features to the car interior, Samsung will demonstrate in-cabin sensor technologies primed for driver and occupant monitoring systems, capable of detecting and alerting potentially unsafe driver conditions like drowsiness, fatigue and distraction.

Advancing Automotive Semiconductor Frontiers With Foundry Solutions

In tune with the burgeoning automotive semiconductor market, Samsung’s Foundry Business has strategically honed its focus on automotive innovation and manufacturing excellence. At IAA MOBILITY 2023, the company will present its latest automotive design solutions, spanning system-on-chips (SoCs) for IVI and ADAS, power management ICs⁵ (PMICs) and battery management ICs (BMICs) as well as automotive microcontrollers (MCUs), all featuring the latest of Samsung Foundry’s technologies. Samsung will also highlight its automotive process technology roadmap, targeting mass production readiness of its four-nanometer (nm) process (SF4A⁶) by 2025 and its 2nm process (SF2A⁷) by 2026. Augmenting this initiative, Samsung Foundry is fortifying its intellectual property (IP) portfolio across analog, memory interface, high-speed interface, security and die to die (D2D) as well as bolstering its design infrastructure.

Next-Gen LED Technologies for the Vehicles of Tomorrow

Samsung will also display its advanced and highly customizable LED lighting solutions ideal for future electric and autonomous vehicles. The company’s PixCell LED⁸ represents an intelligent adaptive driving beam (ADB) innovation that empowers car manufacturers to create smaller lamps with precise and selective lighting control. Achieving Full HD resolution on a compact 0.25-inch display, Samsung’s next-gen Micro LED technology is ideally suited for ultra-high-resolution head-up displays (HUDs) while enabling driver information viewing through augmented reality (AR) glasses. Its Mini LED technology, an evolutionary vehicle-to-everything (V2X) solution, will unlock intricate animated signal effects, enhancing communication with other vehicles and pedestrians.

Samsung Display: OLEDs To Enhance the Automobile Experience

Samsung Display is exhibiting at IAA Mobility 2023, making its debut at an auto show for the first time ever, highlighting its display leadership with a unique exhibition that allows visitors to experience the many advantages of OLED technology. This ties in with the company’s intention to become a leading provider of OLED displays on next-generation automobile applications as the industry transitions away from LCDs.

Visitors to the Samsung Display booth will be able to experience the Safe Driving Center, where they can compare the difference between OLEDs and LCDs. Participants will discover that because OLEDs can portray True Black (Certified by VESA), they can significantly enhance driver visibility — and therefore safety — in dark environments.

The booth will also showcase OLEDs’ low power consumption, owing to OLED displays only lighting up pixels where the actual color appears, unlike LCDs. Of course, this characteristic is becoming ever more important in a world where electric vehicles (EVs) continue to grow in popularity. Additionally, visitors can explore how OLED technology enhances the interior of the vehicle. Since OLEDs can be bent and curved to match the car’s interior, and are lighter and thinner than LCDs, they allow for much greater design flexibility.

In the Next Mobility Projects space, visitors can get a glimpse of future OLED displays in a variety of form factors, such as the Flex S, a multi-foldable display that folds into an S shape with one side of the device inward and the other outward. It can be carried like a smartphone, but then expanded to 12.4 inches and used as the car dashboard. Other innovative products on display include a rollable display that expands more than five times on the vertical axis for rear seat entertainment (RSE) systems in the backseat, as well as a slidable display that expands the screen on both sides.

Samsung SDI: Cutting-Edge Battery Solutions for Next-Gen Electric Vehicles

Samsung SDI is making its sixth IAA appearance at IAA MOBILITY 2023, and the battery maker is poised to unveil “super gap”⁹ battery solutions for future EVs. The company is also making engagement with top R&D talent from Europe a priority.

Visitors to Samsung SDI’s booth will have a chance to see the company’s technological highlights in the PRiMX¹⁰ Zone, with the theme of “PRiMX, Experience the Best.” The zone will showcase a next-generation lineup of products including the all-solid-state battery, 46-phi cylindrical battery, nickel manganese (NMX) battery and lithium manganese iron phosphate (LMFP) battery, along with premium-segment solutions. In the ESG¹¹ Zone, Samsung SDI will present the company’s ongoing initiatives for a sustainable future under the long-term vision of “To make the world sustainable through our innovative technology.”

To cater to varying needs for mass-market electric cars, Samsung SDI is also unveiling cobalt-free battery solutions like NMX and LMFP as a strategic edge ensuring both safety and cost-effectiveness. Also on display is a new form factor, where cathode and anode terminals are re-positioned to the side, enabling maximum space efficiency and enhanced performance and safety.

In attendance at IAA MOBILITY 2023 will be Samsung SDI President and CEO Yoon-ho Choi, who will meet with major European customers. Choi will also make an appearance at the Tech & Career (T&C) Forum, SDI’s career fair that introduces its technological prowess to the industry and allows the company to engage with prospective employees. The Forum is being held in Munich for the first time, after being held in Seoul last month. It took place twice in Seoul and New York last year.

“Home to global automotive industry players, including both carmakers and parts makers, Europe is a crucial market that will lead the future EV industry,” said Choi. “Using our unrivaled technologies, we will continually strive to provide our key European customers with products that feature the highest levels of safety and quality.”

¹ The International Motor Show Germany, or Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung (IAA) in German, is one of the world’s largest mobility trade fairs. It consists of two separate fairs: IAA MOBILITY and IAA TRANSPORTATION. IAA MOBILITY focuses on the latest developments in passenger vehicles, motorcycles and bikes.
² LPDDR5X: Low Power Double Data Rate 5X.
³ GDDR7: Graphics Double Data Rate 7.
⁴ UFS 3.1: Universal Flash Storage 3.1.
⁵ IC: Integrated Circuit.
⁶ SF4A: Samsung Foundry 4nm Automotive.
⁷ SF2A: Samsung Foundry 2nm Automotive.
⁸ The PixCell LED is a super-compact solution that uses sharp precision to deliver enhanced visibility for safer driving at night and in poor weather conditions.
⁹ Super gap: a wide lead that a market leader has over its competitors.
¹⁰ In 2021, Samsung SDI launched the battery brand PRiMX: Prime Battery for Maximum Experience.
¹¹ ESG: Environmental, Social and Governance.

3GPP is a consortium of seven regional telecommunication standards organizations established in 1998 to develop a unified global standard for mobile telecommunications. RAN WG1, the largest working group within the project with more than 600 delegates, is responsible for the development of the physical layer specifications of the 3GPP radio access technology. The working group has been overseeing the development of wireless communications technologies such as OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing), MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output), cellular IoT (Internet-of-Things), and V2X (Vehicle-to-everything) for LTE and 5G specifications.

The working group is currently working on several technical areas to evolve 5G. Such technical work includes improvement of 5G coverage, reduction of power consumption in 5G devices, and enabling of new 5G-based services over satellite link and unlicensed spectrum.

Younsun Kim brings 20 years of experience in the field of wireless communications standards. Since 2017, he has been serving as the Vice-Chair of RAN WG1.

Samsung Electronics currently holds a total of five Chair and Vice-Chair positions in 3GPP (two Chairs, three Vice-Chairs). In addition to Younsun Kim, Suresh Chitturi, a Principal Engineer at Samsung R&D Institute India-Bangalore is currently the Chair of SA WG6 (Service and System Aspects Working Group 6). The company will continue its contribution to the wireless industry with its leadership in wireless technical standards and by driving the next stage of innovations for 5G-Advanced standards.

At CES 2020, Samsung joined BMW to showcase new approaches to creating the mobility experiences of the future with the world’s first commercialized 5G TCU (Telematics Control Unit).

BMW announced that 2021’s BMW iNEXT will be the first car in the world to be equipped with 5G technology from Samsung and HARMAN. The two companies have long served as a development partner to the BMW Group, and will continue helping automotive manufacturers develop vital innovations to serve the ever-changing needs of the rapidly evolving automotive market.

“As we enter the new decade of autonomous driving reality, we see great opportunities to experience many smart phone features that enable this new era of mobility as a service,” said Young Sohn, Corporate President and Chief Strategy Officer for Samsung Electronics and Chairman of the Board for HARMAN. “One of the core enabling technologies is 5G. 5G’s low latency, massive density, device awareness, and super-fast download speeds enable new capabilities and experiences critical for autonomous driving systems of this decade. We look forward to our close partnership with BMW to bring Samsung’s 5G TCU technology delivered to its next generation of cars and provide the ultimate driving experience.”

“For nearly 30 years, Samsung and HARMAN have been key partners for the BMW Group,” said Klaus Frölich, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Development. “In 2021 we will launch the BMW iNEXT, the world’s first car with Samsung’s 5G technology, and we look forward to spreading this over the whole portfolio. Together, we can seamlessly connect the car to the world of our customers and beyond.”

Samsung and HARMAN showcased core automotive technologies including: ADAS, AI, semiconductors, memory, batteries, user interface, car audio, driver experiences, and 5G. The 5G-capable TCU brings together some of these key technologies and links external networks to onboard electronics systems and provides essential, real-time information to drivers in a range of road situations. Some of the key capabilities include downloading high-resolution HD maps in real-time and V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) to deliver risk assessment and blind spot information to the driver. In addition, Samsung showcased its new conformal antenna technology, which can be integrated with the 5G-ready TCU, providing a replacement for the conventional external car shark-fin antenna, and supporting stable network connections.

At CES 2020, Samsung showcased how the 5G TCU (Telematics Control Unit) pairs with V2X technology and the reduced latency enabled by 5G to allow for the delivery of enhanced driving information without delay.

The video below demonstrates how V2X technology detects other cars (especially emergency vehicles) and pedestrians and delivers general traffic information. It also shows how the solution can alert the driver when they need to proceed with caution, and reduce speed when unexpected developments occur on the road.

Check out the video below to see for yourself how 5G and V2X are shaping the future of connected driving!

At CES 2020, Samsung Electronics unveiled Digital Cockpit 2020, which utilizes 5G to link features inside and outside the vehicle and provide connected experiences for drivers and passengers alike.

Digital Cockpit 2020 is the third co-development between Samsung Electronics and HARMAN International, and combines Samsung’s telecommunications technologies, semiconductors and displays with HARMAN’s automotive expertise. The solution enables seamless two-way connections between the home, the office and all the other spaces that users may visit while providing personalized experiences and in-car infotainment. What’s more, smart features enabled through Bixby actively support the driver, further reinforcing safe driving.

Digital Cockpit 2020 incorporates eight displays inside the vehicle, as well as eight cameras. The solution utilizes Samsung Exynos Auto V9 SoC (System on Chip), a semiconductor for vehicle electronics, and Android 10, which allow for several features to be run at the same time.

Tailored Infotainment Delivery

Once the driver logs in using either facial recognition or a smartphone fingerprint reader, the Center Information Display can be used to show the driver’s schedule and a range of other information.

The Digital Cockpit’s Front Display provides visual navigation information and is positioned to ensure that the driver keeps their eyes on the road. It is equipped with QLED Local Dimming¹ technology and split-screen mode to allow passengers to make use of the display without distracting the driver.

The Dashboard Display, which is seamlessly incorporated into the vehicle’s interior design, is positioned under the Front Display and delivers visual notices and alerts.

When the driver activates Samsung’s Bixby voice recognition service, this display shows a Bixby animation that listens to the driver’s commands.

The Console Display is located under the Center Information Display. It can be set up to control various features and the functions of other displays, as well as the vehicle itself.

Passengers sitting in the back seats can connect their personal tablets to the Digital Cockpit and use them to control things like air conditioning, ambient lighting and vehicle speakers. They will also be able to enjoy multimedia content and other services provided by the system on their devices once they are connected.

When the driver or passengers connect their mobile devices to Samsung DeX² for vehicles, they will be able to read and work on documents from their PCs on the car’s Center Information Display. The display also has a feature that allows users to connect multiple mobile devices at the same time. Unlike the 2019 Digital Cockpit, the 2020 solution allows for these connections to be made wirelessly.

The Digital Cockpit 2020 also features multi-zone audio, which allows each passenger to listen to their own music via speakers embedded in the headrests of their seats.

Enhancing Safety According to Individual Needs

On the back of the vehicle, micro LEDs on the external tail lamps are used to form the 53.7-inch Tail Display. With V2X (Vehicle to Everything) communication technology and the Tail Display, the vehicle can share messages and communicate the driver’s status to parties outside the vehicle when required. For example, the display might show messages such as “roadworks ahead” and “pedestrians approaching”, among others.

Inside the vehicle, two 7-inch displays – one on the left and one on the right – serve as displays for the Camera Monitoring System, which replace the conventional side mirrors in the Digital Cockpit 2020. The system monitors possible risks on the rear lateral sides of the vehicle while the user is driving or parking. In addition, the driver can adjust the areas that the cameras monitor according to their preferences.

Meanwhile, the Cabin Talk feature allows the driver to conveniently talk to the passengers in the back seats without needing to turn their head.

Smarter “Bixby in the car” Actively Communicates with Drivers

Digital Cockpit 2020 operates based on the Android platform for cars. This allows Samsung’s integrated IoT platform SmartThings to work in tandem with the revamped “Bixby in the car” to enhance connectivity by allowing the vehicle to actively communicate with the driver. For example, when someone visits your house, Bixby in the car detects the visitor via SmartThings and notifies you of the visit. Not only that, but Bixby can also make suggestions regarding turning lights and home appliances on at your house while you’re on the way home.

What’s more, Bixby in the car also monitors the driver’s status via the Driver Monitoring System, and tailors its suggestions to the driver’s perceived needs. For example, when you are growing drowsy during a long-distance drive, the system may suggest turning on some music, or taking other precautions to combat drowsiness.

Smarter Bixby in the car establishes an environment that is carefully tailored to suit the driver’s needs and circumstances. What’s more, the system actively monitors the status of the vehicle (things such as engine oil levels), and Bixby alerts the driver when a visit to a maintenance shop is needed.

¹ Samsung’s QLED Local Dimming technology allows for the brightness in the screen to be selectively adjusted according to what is being displayed at the time

² Samsung DeX is a service that allows mobile devices to connect to and realize an environment similar to a PC anywhere, anytime

“By building various telecommunication networks including 5G, 4G and V2X in one place, K-City will provide real-world experiences of autonomous driving for people and businesses across the industry,” said Byung Yoon Kwon, Director of KOTSA. “This open environment is expected to be served as a unique innovation lab for industry partners that will ultimately enable to accelerate the availability of autonomous driving era.”

“The prominence of autonomous vehicles and connected cars is growing rapidly in the 5G era, and Samsung’s commitment to collaborative innovation in this area is stronger than ever,” said Jaeho Jeon, Executive Vice President and Head of Global Technology Service, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “With our technical expertise in 5G technologies, we are uniquely positioned to establish the foundation of a new industrial ecosystem that will allow the autonomous driving industry to flourish.”

K-City consists of five real-life simulated cases, urban and rural areas, local communities, highways and parking lots, spread across a 360,000m² field. Using advanced vehicle communication technologies, the test bed will create an environment for autonomous vehicles and connected cars to experience real-life road conditions, crossings and tunnels. It will also enable the testing of accident risk situations that can be recreated and repeated, contributing to enhanced safety for both drivers and pedestrians.

Alongside the implementation of network equipment, Samsung will begin building key IT infrastructures to guarantee minimal latency and information security at K-City. Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) near base stations is critical in supporting instant communication between fast-moving vehicles, and enables cars to react to unanticipated events.

Designed as a multi-purpose open innovation lab to serve various industries, the network solution in K-City supported by Samsung and KOTSA will be available to professionals and businesses of all sizes. The site will eventually become the center of research for autonomous driving and connected cars, which will spearhead the future growth of 5G industries.

With comprehensive process technology roadmap updates down to 3-nanometer (nm) at the annual ‘Samsung Foundry Forum (SFF) 2018 USA’, Samsung Foundry is focused on providing customers with the tools necessary to design and manufacture powerful, yet energy-efficient system-on-chips (SoC) for a wide range of applications.

“The trend toward a smarter, connected world has the industry demanding more from silicon providers,” said Charlie Bae, executive vice president and head of the Foundry Sales & Marketing Team at Samsung Electronics. “To meet that demand, Samsung Foundry is powering innovation at the silicon level that will ultimately give people access to data, analysis, and insight in new and previously unthought-of ways to make human lives better. It is imperative for us to accomplish the first-time silicon success for our customers’ next-generation chip designs.”

Process Technology Roadmap Updates

• 7LPP (7nm Low Power Plus): 7LPP, the first semiconductor process technology to use an EUV lithography solution, is scheduled to be ready for production in the second half of this year. Key IPs are under development, aiming to be completed by the first half of 2019.

• 5LPE (5nm Low Power Early): Through further smart innovation from the 7LPP process, 5LPE will allow greater area scaling and ultra-low power benefits.

• 4LPE/LPP (4nm Low Power Early/Plus): The use of highly mature and verified FinFET technology will be extended to the 4nm process. As the last generation of FinFET, 4nm provides a smaller cell size, improved performance, and faster ramp-up to the stable level of yield by adopting proven 5LPE, supporting easy migration.

• 3GAAE/GAAP (3nm Gate-All-Around Early/Plus): 3nm process nodes adopt GAA, the next-generation device architecture. To overcome the physical scaling and performance limitations of the FinFET architecture, Samsung is developing its unique GAA technology, MBCFET^TM (Multi-Bridge-Channel FET) that uses a nano-sheet device. By enhancing the gate control, the performance of 3nm nodes will be significantly improved.

HPC (High-Performance Computing) Solutions

Samsung Foundry delivers the technology solutions to drive the latest hyper-scale datacenters and accelerate the growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning capability. From the latest 7LPP technology and beyond with its EUV capability, to the differentiated high-speed IPs such as 100Gbps+ SerDes on top of the innovative 2.5D/3D heterogeneous packaging, Samsung delivers the total platform solutions to greatly increase computing power and accelerate AI revolution.

Connected Device Solutions

From low-power microcontroller units (MCU) and next-generation connected devices to the most sophisticated autonomous vehicles based on 5G and Vehicle to Everything (V2X) communication, Samsung Foundry offers full-featured turnkey platforms to enable compelling products. A broad technology portfolio from 28/18 FD-SOI with eMRAM and RF capability to advanced 10/8nm FinFET processes will enable a great end-user experience for connected devices.

Mr. Bae continued, “Over the past year, we have focused on strengthening our EUV process portfolio to provide each of our customers with the finest technologies. Applying GAA structure to our next generation process node will enable us to take the lead in opening a new smart, connected world, while also to reinforcing our technology leadership.”

Details regarding Samsung Foundry can be found at www.samsungfoundry.com and www.linkedin.com/company/samsungfoundry.

A recent vote, held at the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) in Sophia Antipolis, France, saw Suresh Chitturi (front row, fifth from right) elected as the new Chairman of the 3GPP SA6 Working Group.

Mr. Suresh Chitturi, Director for Standards at the Samsung Research Institute in Bangalore, was recently elected as new Chairman of the 3^rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Service and System Aspect 6 (SA6) Working Group by acclamation in Sophia Antipolis, France.

The 3GPP is a collaborative project aimed at developing global standards for acceptable specifications of telecommunications networks. The project is comprised of three Technical Specification Groups (TSGs), under which 16 Working Groups oversee specifications for each sector. In addition to Mr. Chitturi, new Chairman of SA6, other Samsung officials currently serving in elected roles on the 3GPP include one TSG Chairman, two Chairman of Working Groups, and two Vice-Chairman. For his part, Mr. Chitturi will lead the SA6 Working Group for the next two years.

For its part, the SA6 is a key working group responsible for the development of application layer standards. Since its inception in 2014, SA6 has played a significant role in the development of Mission Critical Applications Standards across Long-Term Evolution (LTE), a global standard widely adopted by public safety agencies and other critical communication industry verticals. The Standards enable the use of push-to-talk voice, video and data communications for public protection and disaster relief (PPDR) operations over broadband networks.

“Providing leadership to 3GPP SA6 Working Group, especially in this era of new mobile communications, is a unique opportunity. We at Samsung value the importance of the activity of 3GPP and SA6 in creating a robust platform for future 5G services, leading up to the era of 5G commercialization,” said Mr. Chitturi.

Mr. Chitturi currently serves as the Director for Standards at the Samsung Research Institute in Bangalore, India.

While there is a significant industry effort to develop the new 5G standard, which is scheduled to be ready by June this year, the focus on 5G services will be far more critical to the applications of 5G technology. Mission Critical Application Standards, which apply to the essential systems critical to the survival of a business or organization, will remain a key responsibility of SA6 Working Group particularly in the move towards diverse applications of 5G. For instance, Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X), smart factories, as well as 5G service application programming interface (API) frameworks will allow 3^rd party verticals to leverage the rich capabilities of the 5G core network and new radio.

Prior to being elected Chairman, Mr. Chitturi served as Vice-Chairman of SA6 Working Group, providing key contribution to the timely completion of Mission Critical Standards to meet the needs of the Critical Communications industry. Mr. Chitturi also represents Samsung on the Governing Council of TSDSI, the India Telecom Standards Development Organization (SDO), and has previously held leadership positions in several other SDOs such as World Wide Web (W3C), Open Mobile Alliance (OMA), Java Community Process (JCP), and the GSM Association (GSMA).

In addition to the appointment of Mr. Chitturi, Mr. Aris Papasakellariou, Senior Director of Standards at Samsung Research America, received the 2017 3GPP Excellence Award earlier this month for his outstanding contributions in the field of radio access technology for 5G.

Samsung continues its significant contribution and progress in making 5G a reality, with advancements including introduction of the world’s first 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) commercial solutions at MWC 2018, as well as being selected as supplier by many of the world’s leading carrier companies.