Renesas Electronics is taking a close look at its Asic and system-on-chip (SoC) business as part of a plan to make it more profitable.
The semiconductor company is a supplier of Asics and SoC devices to the telecoms and consumer markets.
Robert Green, European CEO of Renesas Electronics told Electronics Weekly the company was reviewing the Asic and SoC business to increase profitability.
“The business is going through a rationalisation,” said Green. “There will be changes to the Soc business.”
“The Asic and SoC business is not as profitable as the analogue or microcontroller businesses and we plan to create a better business out of it,” said Green.
Green said the company had indentified strong and weak segments. “The European basestation business, for example, is very healthy,” said Green.
“But the Japanese domestic market, which is largely consumer, is less predictable,” said Green.
“Looking forward there will be more targeted investment in the business,” said Green, who also said the company had a plan to become less Japan-centric in its businesses.
“Part of this is how we do business in the Asic arena,” said Green.
Green also confirmed that the company’s first 40nm parts would be introduced next year. They will be flash microcontrollers aimed at automotive applications.
“We will have first 40nm products in 2013,” said Green.
The company has already rationalised its microcontroller business following the merger of NEC and Renesas in 2010.
It has rationalised its microcontroller products into there core families - the RX 600/200 ranges , the low cost RL78 series and the high end V850 family.
Multiple process technology is key for microcontrollers, says Renesas