LG Electronics expands chip design for home appliances, EVs

LG Electronics Inc. headquarters in Seoul. [Photo by Han Joo-hyung]

South Korea’s LG Electronics Inc., which introduced its own artificial intelligence chips for home appliances, is going all-out to secure talent to further boost its chip-making capacity, joining a global trend for in-house chip design.

According to multiple sources from the electronics industry on Monday, LG Electronics is recruiting staff to develop chiplets for system-on-chip (SoC) that will be under the division led by the chief technology officer (CTO) responsible for chip development.

The hiring process is ongoing with no fixed deadline, as the company aims to bring on board a significant number of individuals with master’s and doctorate degrees.

The selected employees will assume responsibility for crafting next-generation computing platform architecture and establishing chiplet development protocols.

Chiplets are small, modular chips that are used to package a complete, high-performance SoC.

LG Electronics is also recruiting beginners and experienced employees to oversee semiconductor quality at its quality management center until August 15. They will undertake the tasks of testing and validating novel technologies, methodologies, materials, and features associated with vital core chip components.

Additionally, they will explore ways to enhance chip quality management and participate in group-wide chip quality consultations.

LG Electronics is actively seeking chip talent because it aims to cultivate its own semiconductors as fabless, with foundry companies producing chips designed by LG Electronics.

The company is pursuing in-house chip development in two main categories, including home appliances and automotive.

Last month, LG Electronics released the UP Appliance 2.0 lineups that incorporate the DQ-C AI chip designed in-house for home appliances for the first time, replacing previously used microcontroller unit (MCU) chips sourced from external manufacturers.

The in-house AI chip enables customers to add or remove features to home appliances. The AI control accuracy and processing performance have also improved.

The company is also focused on the development of chips for electric and autonomous vehicles as they see growth potential in automotive chips.

MCUs play a pivotal role in controlling electrical products, and while internal combustion engine vehicles typically employ around 200 to 300 MCUs per car, electric vehicles are expected to incorporate as many as 2,000 MCUs.

In May, LG Electronics joined forces with Canadian AI startup Tenstorrent Inc. to develop AI chips for smart TVs and vehicle products.

In-house chip design and chip self-reliance are becoming established trends in the global manufacturing industry, as chips tailored to finished products not only enhance product performance but also reduce dependence on external semiconductor suppliers.

Apple Inc. and Tesla Inc. are companies leading the trend. Apple incorporates chips designed in-house into all of its products. Apple also introduced its M2 and R1 chips in the mixed reality headset, Vision Pro, which was unveiled in June. The R1 chip, in particular, is reported to play a key role in the performance of the Vision Pro.

Tesla also integrates self-designed chips into its autonomous vehicles, which has enabled the EV maker to continue selling their cars without delays amid the global shortage of automotive chips since 2019.

Samsung Electronics Co. is also developing its own mobile application processor, Exynos, which will be included in its flagship Galaxy S24.