Renesas Electronics Strengthens its Microcontroller Business through Integration of the Development/Manufacturing Structure

TOKYO, Japan, September 15, 2010 -- Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723), a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, today introduced its new measures to expand the company’s microcontroller (MCU) business faster than the market growth rate.

Since Renesas Electronics Corporation was formed on April 1, 2010 through a merger between NEC Electronics Corporation and Renesas Technology Corp., the company has studied ways to draw out maximum synergies for its MCU business, both in the business direction and in its product portfolio. Now, Renesas Electronics is starting full-scale efforts to implement the following measures: (1) Early launch of optimal MCU products for each application area as well as the expansion of the product lineups, (2) Customer support for more efficient software development, and (3) Construction of a highly flexible manufacturing system, called the “fab network”.

(1) Early launch of optimal MCU products for each application area and expansion of the product lineups

Renesas Electronics will standardize all of the peripheral IPs, such as timers and communication functions, incorporated in the company’s MCUs to make them compatible to every one of the company’s CPU cores including the 78K, R8C, RX, SuperH™ and V850. The company also will integrate its infrastructure (platform) for developing MCUs through combinations of CPU cores, peripheral functions and built-in memory devices and will shorten the product-development period by approximately two-thirds of that previously required. 

As compared to the earlier approach in which the peripheral functions that configure an MCU were developed separately for each CPU core, Renesas Electronics will be able to streamline its product development resources, focus those resources to accelerate the expansion of its product lineup, and develop a structure that can provide timely products to address market demands.

(2) Customer support for more efficient software development

Renesas Electronics will provide its customers with a standardized development tool common to all of Renesas Electronics’ CPU cores—78K, R8C, RX, SuperH and V850—to enable effective utilization of software assets and increased efficiency of software development.

In particular, hardware development tools including emulators and flash writers that are fully compatible with all of Renesas Electronics’ CPU cores are scheduled to be available starting in December 2012. In addition, an integrated development environment (IDE) and software development tools including compilers also are scheduled for availability starting in April 2011, allowing system designers to conduct the same operation for every MCU.

As a result, in addition to providing system designers with stress-free software development by allowing them to use the same development tool regardless of which CPU core their MCU adopts, this support also will enable them to make more effective use of their existing software assets, making it possible to increase software development efficiency even further.

(3) Construction of a highly flexible “fab network”

While prior to the merger, the two former companies developed and applied their own three process technologies for their respective MCUs, Renesas Electronics is now integrating those six into three processes: 40- and 90-nanometer (nm) processes for the development and production of high-speed MCUs with high performance and large-capacity flash memory, and a 130nm process for the development of low-power MCUs with small- and medium-scale built-in flash memory devices.

By integrating the process technologies, Renesas Electronics will be able to form a “fab network,” allowing the same product to be manufactured at multiple plants. For example, for the 40 and 90nm processes, the Naka plant and Renesas Yamagata Semiconductor’s Tsuruoka plant will be available, and for the 130nm process, the Saijo plant and the Renesas Semiconductor Kyushu Yamaguchi’s Kawashiri plant are available to manufacture the same product (cross-production). This cross-production capability will strengthen the company’s ability to address fluctuations in market demand and also realize a stable supply of products even in the event of an emergency such as a fire or natural disaster.

In addition, Renesas Electronics plans to accelerate the development of its 40nm MCUs and expects sample shipment of the first 40nm MCU to begin in CY2012.

Renesas is also aiming for collaboration with its 700 partner companies worldwide by providing, for example, design support for middleware, real time operating systems (OS), and board hardware. Through information available on Renesas Electronics and partner company web sites and catalogs, system designers will be able to choose from a wide range of development tools required for software development, thereby allowing them to quickly and easily construct their application systems.

In addition, to aim for MCU business expansion that exceeds the market growth rate, Renesas Electronics will continue to promote its “Global and Green” vision by supplying region-specific solutions to boost global growth, and low-power MCUs and other solutions to address rising demand for energy conservation to realize an eco-friendly society.

For China and other developing countries, Renesas Electronics will strengthen its MCU marketing function within its sales subsidiary in Renesas Electronics (China) Co., Ltd. to create product-growth systems suitable for each region. With an enhanced structure led by a local representative as the top executive, Renesas Electronics China will be capable of making decisions on a timely basis. Supporting these changes, Renesas Electronics plans to expand its MCU product lineups to 1,000 products by CY2012 and expand its MCU sales in the Chinese market. For developed countries, the company plans to promote security management and other technologies for battery systems in electric cars that leverage Renesas Electronics’ advanced security solutions cultivated through development of SIM cards and ID cards for mobile phones.    

Renesas Electronics also addresses the rising demand for the realization of an eco-friendly society by offering a wide range of solutions including kit solutions for hybrid and electric cars that combine an MCU with analog and power semiconductor devices, such as analog ICs and photocouplers, as well as solutions for smart buildings and smart factories that contribute to the factory's overall efficiency.

Based on these measures, Renesas Electronics aims to achieve an average annual growth rate of 8 to 10 percent in FY2012 and to expand its overseas sales in China in particular and other developing countries as well, by 50 to 60 percent over current levels.

About Renesas Electronics Corporation

Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723), the world’s number one supplier of microcontrollers, is a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions including microcontrollers, SoC solutions and a broad range of analog and power devices. Business operations began as Renesas Electronics in April 2010 through the integration of NEC Electronics Corporation (TSE:6723) and Renesas Technology Corp., with operations spanning research, development, design and manufacturing for a wide range of applications. Headquartered in Japan, Renesas Electronics has subsidiaries in 20 countries worldwide. More information can be found at www.renesas.com.