What is the development prospect and certification object of AEC-Q?

Currently, most parts used by automobile manufacturers are required to have AEC-Q certification. AEC-Q certification is an internationally accepted product verification standard for automotive components. Passing AEC-Q certification means that the product can be used in automobiles.

Necessity of AEC-Q Certification

To enter the automotive field and the supply chain of Tier 1 automotive electronics manufacturers, two tickets must be obtained. One is the AEC-Q100 (integrated circuits IC), AEC-Q101 (discrete semiconductor devices), AEC-Q102 (discrete optoelectronic devices), AEC-Q103 (MEMS), AEC-Q104 (multi-chip modules), and AEC-Q200 (passive components) reliability standards promoted by the North American automotive industry; the second ticket is to comply with the zero-defect supply chain quality management standard ISO/IATF 16949 specification (Quality Management System).

The current status of AEC-Q certification

1. AEC-Q certification has become a sign of whether electronic components are suitable for automotive applications.

2. Imported automotive components are all AEC-Q certified, and domestic components entering the automotive market must undergo automotive standard certification.

3. All traditional automotive components can be directly selected for automotive certification testing (AEC-Q certification).

4. Third-generation semiconductor components represented by SiC and GaN also have products that have passed AEC-Q certification.

The development prospects of AEC-Q certification for domestic devices

Currently, very few domestic automotive components have obtained AEC-Q certification, but there are still a few domestic devices that will be used for in-vehicle trials or in the back-end market. On the one hand, it may be because the production capacity of imported components is insufficient, on the other hand, it may be because the requirements of the back-end market are not so strict, and thirdly, AEC-Q itself is not a mandatory certification (the failure of domestic products to pass AEC-Q certification does not mean that it is not a problem of automotive grade, but that there is no systematic approach). However, in the long run, whether it is AEC-Q or the automotive component standards independently released by my country, domestic components entering the automotive field must be certified by automotive standards.

For automobile manufacturers and Tier 1 suppliers, the risk of using AEC-Q certified electronic components is lower, and the components are generally required to undergo AEC-Q verification; for electronic component suppliers, AEC-Q certification is a guarantee of product quality and reliability, which can enhance product competitiveness and premium rate.

Therefore, although AEC-Q is not a mandatory certification system, it has become a recognized universal testing standard for automotive components.

AEC-Q certification has become a symbol, or a threshold, for whether electronic components are suitable for automotive applications.

AEC-Q102 Certification Targets

AEC-Q102 certification targets: All discrete optoelectronic semiconductor components used inside and outside automotive electronics.

AEC (Automotive Electronics Council) officially released the AEC-Q102 REV standard in March 2017. This specification is mainly the evaluation criteria for discrete optoelectronic component products entering the automotive market, and is also the common international standard for current automotive LEDs. Its verification includes redefining the number of experimental samples, the control method of LEDTj (Junction Temperature), gas corrosion increase, etc. Each experimental sample is designed for the environment that the sewing machine may encounter when using LEDs, so as to protect the safety during driving.

LED light sources are increasingly widely used in automobiles. High-quality LEDs are needed for headlights, intelligent systems, blind spot detection and other applications. Therefore, many LED component suppliers have taken the initiative to research automotive LEDs. However, how can their LED products gain a foothold in the automotive electronics market? AEC-Q102 certification is the most critical pass.