Introduction
The operating environment of automobile semiconductor components is much more hostile than that of semiconductors used in home or portable applications. A television set will generally spend its operating lifetime within an ambient temperature range of 0 ˚C to 40 ˚C. Due to internal heating, its semiconductor devices can be expected to operate between 20 ˚C and 60 ˚C. By comparison, an automobile is expected to start at temperatures lower than -20 ˚C and, in some cases, operate within the engine compartment at temperatures approaching 125 ˚C.

To ensure the reliability of automotive electronics, the Automotive Electronics Council introduced its AEC-Q100 standard which outlines procedures to be followed to ensure integrated circuits meet the quality and reliability levels required by automotive applications. As the global number one supplier, the introduction of its Q100 logic portfolio shows NXP continuing to lead the way in automotive logic.