NXP
First samples of 5nm devices are expected to be delivered to NXP’s key customers next year. Credit: NXP USA, Inc.

NXP Semiconductors has signed a collaboration agreement to adopt TSMC’s 5-nanometer (5nm) technology for its next-generation automotive platform.

Under this collaboration, NXP’s automotive design expertise will be combined with TSMC’s 5nm technology to further drive the transformation of automobiles into computing systems for the road.

Furthermore, both the companies are expanding their collaboration to create a System-on-Chip (SoC) platform in 5nm to deliver the next generation of automotive processors.

NXP’s offerings will use TSMC’s 5nm process to address a range of functions and workloads such as connected cockpits and high-performance domain controllers.

Other workloads to be addressed include autonomous driving, advanced networking, hybrid propulsion control and integrated chassis management.

NXP Automotive Processing executive vice-president and general manager Henri Ardevol said: “NXP aims to deliver the premier automotive processing platform based on TSMC’s 5nm process, with a consistent architecture across domains and with differentiation in performance, power, and world-class safety and security.

“Car OEMs need a simpler coordination of advanced functions across control-units, the flexibility to locate and port applications seamlessly, and the certainty of execution in a critical safety and security context.”

NXP will adopt TSMC 5nm technology’s improved version N5P, which offers about 20% faster speed or about 40% power reduction compared to the preceding 7nm generation.

TSMC Business Development vice-president Dr Kevin Zhang said: “TSMC’s latest collaboration with NXP truly demonstrates how automotive semiconductors have evolved from simple microcontrollers to sophisticated processors on par with chips used in the most demanding high-performance computing systems.”

The delivery of first samples of 5nm devices to NXP’s key customers is expected next year.