HONEY Lays the Cornerstone for Highly Complex Driver Assistance Systems in Medium-Sized Vehicles; HONEY Research Project Successfully Concluded

Neubiberg, Germany – June 27, 2011 – Even today, a medium-sized vehicle contains about 1,000 chips and as many as 80 networked electronic systems. These numbers are set to grow as state-of-the-art safety technology gains traction – for example, driver assistance systems that help to prevent hazards such as rear-end collision in fog. The tight design envelope of a car means that existing systems have to become ever smaller and new ones have to be as compact as possible. This is where the findings of the recently successfully concluded “HONEY” (highly optimized design methods for yield and reliability) research project come in.

The four project partners from the world of German semiconductor technology have addressed design methods in chip development and come up with results solving the widespread dilemma previously often associated with the use of smaller feature sizes: The deployment of state-of-the-art manufacturing technology did not automatically lead to smaller chips and hence compacter systems. HONEY’s newly developed statistical and systematic design methods pave the way out of the predicament. They are employed in the early stage of circuit design for a new chip generation and methodically incorporate its process technology.

The new methods are already being integrated into existing design systems and will be available for chip development in about a year. The new design methods will enable the development of reliable chip systems in state-of-the-art manufacturing technology. In so doing, they significantly contribute to introduce a driver assistance system to the medium-sized car within the next few years.

The partners of the HONEY project were the Institute of Microelectronic and Mechatronic Systems of the Free State of Thuringia (IMMS GmbH), the software tool producer MunEDA GmbH, X-FAB Semiconductor Foundries AG, and the semiconductor manufacturer and project leader Infineon Technologies AG. IMMS and X-FAB worked out new chip design and automation methods for analog circuits and Infineon those for the digital components. MunEDA contributed software support solutions. The new development methods also enhance product analysis and production control.

The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) funded the HONEY research project to the tune of Euro five million as part of the ICT 2020 Information and Communication Technologies program. The three-year HONEY program was conducted under the auspices of the MEDEA+ European Research Initiative.

Further information

You will find further information on the HONEY project at https://secure.edacentrum.de/honey

About IMMS

The Institute for Microelectronics and Mechatronics Systems (IMMS) provides R&D and therefore bridges the gap between research and industry. It is a strategic partner for companies - especially small and medium sized - using methods and processes to transfer new technologies and results into industrial production. The IMMS GmbH has since its foundation in 1995, been a provider of systems technologies. It has developed micro-electronic and mechatronic systems and devices as well as the necessary circuitry and software. The IMMS delivers R&D in the field of model based system design for innovative complex systems in microelectronic and mechatronics, high-precision multi-axis drive systems and machinery. The developments range from customized ASICs and electronic boards, control systems and power supplies for specific applications, wireless communication, real time networks and operating systems (e.g. LINUX), control algorithms and software to high precision linear and planar direct drives and high precision multi-axis processing machines (e.g. for laser-micro-processing). Another emphasis is the simulation and test of MEMS. The IMMS supports all phases from basic research to production and introduction of products.

About MunEDA

MunEDA provides leading EDA technology for analysis and optimization of yield and performance of analog, mixed-signal and digital designs. MunEDA’s products and solutions enable customers to reduce the design times of their circuits and to maximize robustness and yield. MunEDA’s solutions are in industrial use by leading semiconductor companies in the areas of communication, computer, memories, automotive, and consumer electronics. MunEDA was founded in 2001 and is a privately held company. The company headquarter is located in Munich, Germany. MunEDA has offices in Munich, Germany (Headquarter) and Sunnyvale, CA, USA (MunEDA Inc.). MunEDA is represented by leading EDA distribution companies worldwide in USA, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, UK, Ireland, Singapore, Malaysia, Scandinavia and others. Further information is available at www.muneda.com

About X-Fab

X-FAB is the leading analog/mixed-signal foundry group manufacturing silicon wafers for analog-digital integrated circuits (mixed-signal ICs). X-FAB maintains wafer production facilities in Erfurt and Dresden (Germany); Lubbock, Texas (US); and Kuching, Sarawak (Malaysia); and employs approximately 2,400 people worldwide. Wafers are manufactured based on advanced modular CMOS and BiCMOS processes with technologies ranging from 1.0 to 0.13 micrometers, for applications primarily in the automotive, communications, consumer and industrial sectors. For more information, please visit www.xfab.com.

Press contacts:

IMMS GmbH
Ines Lehrke, PR and Marketing
Phone: +49 (3677) 69 55 13
Email: ines.lehrke@imms.de

MunEDA GmbH
Andreas Ripp, Sales & Marketing
Phone: +49 (89) 93086-335
Email: andreas.ripp@muneda.com

X-FAB Semiconductor Foundries AG
Thomas Hartung, Marketing
Phone: +49 (361) 427 6160
Email: thomas.hartung@xfab.com

Infineon Technologies AG, Neubiberg, Germany, offers semiconductor and system solutions addressing three central challenges to modern society: energy efficiency, mobility, and security. In the 2010 fiscal year (ending September 30), the company reported sales of Euro 3.295 billion with approximately 26,650 ¹ employees worldwide. Infineon is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: IFX) and in the USA on the over-the-counter market OTCQX International Premier (ticker symbol: IFNNY).

¹Mentioned number of employees contains about 3,500 employees of the Wireless mobile phone business (Wireless Solutions), which was sold to Intel Corporation.