DRIVEN BASE
DENSO SEMICONDUCTORS

DENSO SEMICONDUCTORS

Semiconductors are the future of mobility.

VISION OF
DENSO
SEMICONDUCTORS

Entire cities will become smart, Roamed by autonomous vehicles, With robots working in factories and farms instead of people.

Semiconductors must become far more intelligent and rugged to function properly in such severe environments.

Vehicles and robots powered by the software-first approach will flexibly move machines, which serve as their limbs.

DENSO’s in-vehicle semiconductor technology meets all the requirements and will be indispensable in the smart society of the future.

Mission 1

Be smart and strong

“Being smart” means the capability to move autonomously.
Robots and vehicles will see things and judge how best to move the world.
DENSO will develop everything needed for intelligence.

In-vehicle semiconductors will not just be smart.
They will be durable and rugged to work and play with us.

SENSE

Achieve sensing by diverse means

We are a mobility system supplier.
If necessary technologies do not already exist, we develop them in-house.
It is also important to work with partners to deliver the required functions in optimal ways instead of trying to do everything in-house.

Monitor the situation

We use various approaches including cameras, millimeter-wave radar sensors, and light detection and ranging (LiDAR) systems to accurately monitor the situation around the vehicle, even in thick fog.

Monitor the condition

Our sensors accurately monitor invisible conditions such as temperature, humidity, and airborne hazardous substances, as well as health such as the concentration and fatigue level of the driver.

THINK

Make instantaneous and accurate judgments

The quality of judgments depends on the amount of training.

Intelligence starts with accurately recognizing objects detected by sensors, including pedestrians and vehicles as well as animals that wander onto the road and road subsidence. We continue the training by deep learning and data sharing to recognize situations accurately.

Predict the future and make prompt decisions

Judgments will be delayed if made from scratch. Instantaneous judgments can be made about what actions to take by focusing on the important points in the field of view and predicting the action to some extent, just like drivers do. Automated driving systems must also make judgments in unexpected situations. We are also developing a third processor, which is different from CPUs and GPUs, capable of making judgments just like reflexes. Our value lies in our ability to make prompt judgments and react instantaneously.

ACT

Extremely powerful but energy-efficient

Achieving high output and energy efficiency

Motors account for about 50% of the global demand for electric power. In vehicles, which have been rapidly electrified, power semiconductors that control the output of motors and inverters play a key role in improving vehicle performance and building a sustainable society. DENSO is a leader in establishing industry standards.

ROBUST

Robust body to demonstrate intelligence

Packaging technology

Building a rugged body to protect semiconductors

ECUs are directly mounted on engines, which are subject to severe vibration and high temperatures. Sensors come into direct contact with oil and pressure. By using our manufacturing technology, we build a durable body for delicate semiconductors so that they can be used in severe environments.

Management technology

Condition management to maintain performance

Thermal design is important when manufacturing semiconductors. Thermal runway reduces performance and increases power consumption. By using its expertise in thermal management, DENSO can fully unleash the potential of semiconductors.

Mission 2

Achieve flexible movement

Semiconductors for vehicles and robots must be able to think and control the “eyes” and “limbs.”

Like a baton, we use semiconductors to orchestrate a co-creation society encompassing all elements including entire systems, system on chip (SoC), CPUs, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), materials, and software, to move limbs efficiently and at will.

System

As a system orchestration company

Moving limbs at will

We are a system supplier capable of integrating main vehicle functions into streamlined and harmonious systems. Analog signals are converted into digital signals to monitor the condition accurately. Digital signals are converted into analog signals to operate mechanical units with high power. We can control vehicles and the limbs of robots at will by using semiconductors and designing edge computing solutions. As a manufacturer of the core products of systems, we can optimally assign tasks to our software, mechanics, and electronics teams.

SoC, CPU, ASIC

A combination of strategic partnerships with in-house development capabilities

Minimalist and seamless

Simply purchasing and combining semiconductor products can result in inadequate or excessive functionality. As a system supplier that understands the best solutions for vehicles, we keep our strategic partners aware of the trend of in-vehicle applications and ensure stable procurement of competitive products. As an integrated device manufacturer (IDM) capable of designing and manufacturing smart semiconductors in-house, including ASICs, we jointly develop optimal in-vehicle SoC and CPUs with partner companies. This helps reduce the consumption of electricity and resources, manufacturing costs, and the risk of defects and failures, ensuring smooth operation.

Material

R&D on advanced materials

Making innovation the norm

We are also committed to the excellence of materials. We help establish the standards for next-generation vehicles and so know what will be needed to meet those standards. We also develop material and wafer technologies for power devices, which deliver high output to drive large vehicles. We strive to make innovation the norm by promoting R&D through industry-academia collaboration, commercializing and mass-producing products, and implementing them in society. Our R&D is focused on practical application.

Software

Developing the software development platform

Thoroughly efficient

In line with the software-first development process, we build the development environment and then develop and supply the processors that are embedded in vehicles and industrial equipment. We reduce development costs by using IP cores optimized for embedded systems, instead of using IP cores for PCs, servers, and mobile devices, and can rapidly develop high-performance, secure products. We will meet the demand for high performance to flexibly move smart vehicles and smart robots by improving the development efficiency and quality of the entire industry.

Crafting the Core

Let’s create a new future.

The next goal is global DX.

Our smart and rugged in-vehicle semiconductors are suitable
for infrastructure that is exposed to the weather,
production sites with harsh conditions, including factories and farms,
heavy-duty industrial robots, and medical and health equipment,
which must meet chemical resistance specifications.
We will achieve global DX by using semiconductor technology refined for vehicles.

WHAT'S NEW

In-vehicle semiconductors have been used in many more applications.