Achronix Adopts eMemory IP for FPGA Hardware Root of Trust

Hsinchu, Taiwan -- April 28, 2021 – eMemory, the semiconductor industry’s leading NVM IP provider, has partnered with Achronix Semiconductor Corporation, a leader in FPGA-based data accelerator devices and high-performance eFPGA IP, to enhance security at the semiconductor chip level.

eMemory, now a member of the Achronix Partner Program, will offer its NeoFuse and NeoPUF IP to strengthen the Achronix portfolio and provide a robust hardware root of trust to ensure the silicon and FPGA configurations are authentic and secure. This security-enhancing feature achieves chip-level protection against data breaches and chip counterfeiting.

eMemory’s NeoFuse, an antifuse-based, one-time programmable (OTP) memory, is a reliable and secure embedded solution. In addition, the IP achieves high yields at advanced and more-than-Moore technology nodes. eMemory’s NeoPUF is a hardware security technology based on physical unclonable variations occurring in silicon manufacturing processes. The random numbers generated from NeoPUF technology create unique silicon fingerprints for chips that can be used for identification, authentication and encryption.

“Companies building solutions with FPGAs often put their most valuable IP into configuration files that are loaded onto the FPGAs,” said Chris Pelosi, Vice President of Hardware Engineering at Achronix. “The adoption of eMemory’s technology enables us to provide a hardware root of trust to ensure Achronix’s Speedster7t FPGAs are secured and their configurations are authentic and securely encrypted.”

PUF-based key encryption and management functions are the best way to protect software and hardware from malicious attacks or illegitimate cloning. NeoFuse and NeoPUF can be constructed as a strong hardware root of trust for security applications including key provision, authentication, secure boot and data encryption in an FPGA system. The integration of NeoFuse and NeoPUF within Achronix Speedster7t FPGAs is a critical part of the overall secure solution that Achronix has implemented in their FPGA products.

“We are pleased to join the Achronix Partner program to address the security needs of customers using Achronix’s products,” said eMemory Senior VP of Business Development Michael Ho. “In this collaboration with Achronix, eMemory will fully support and provide our security solutions to developers using Achronix’s programmable silicon and IP technologies.”

The security IP used in a FinFET process integrates 64K bits of OTP storage and 4K bits for a secret random number source. eMemory’s NeoPUF technology provides a large entropy source and achieves a zero failure rate without the use of any helper data.

About eMemory

eMemory (TPEX:3529) is a supplier of semiconductor IP specializing in embedded hard cores. As a world-leading provider of IP, eMemory has delivered best-in-class designs to over 1,500 foundries, IDMs and fabless companies globally since its establishment in 2000. We have received TSMC’s “Best IP Partner Award” each year since TSMC initiated this honor in 2010.

As a global leader in the eNVM (embedded non-volatile memory) market, eMemory provides patented solutions with the industry’s widest adoption across an extensive range of process technologies. We have also become an industry leader providing security IP cores based on silicon biometrics.

eMemory’s eNVM IP offerings include one-time programmable memories (NeoBit/NeoFuse) and multi-time programmable memories (NeoMTP/NeoEE). NeoPUF is the company’s embedded root of trust technology for security applications.

About Achronix Semiconductor Corporation

Achronix Semiconductor Corporation is a global, fabless semiconductor corporation based in Santa Clara, California, offering high-end FPGA-based data acceleration solutions, designed to address high-performance, compute-intensive and real-time processing applications. Achronix FPGA and eFPGA IP offerings are further enhanced by ready-to-use accelerator cards targeting AI, machine learning, networking and data center applications. All Achronix products are fully supported by the Achronix Tool Suite which enables customers to quickly develop their own custom data acceleration applications.

Achronix has a global footprint, with sales and design teams across the U.S., Europe and Asia. In January 2021, Achronix entered into a definitive merger agreement with ACE Convergence Acquisition Corp. (Nasdaq: ACEV) in a transaction that would result in Achronix being listed on Nasdaq. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2021.