Fingerprint Application Opens up Market Demands for eMemory's Logic NVM IP Solutions

Hsinchu, Taiwan (Feb. 2, 2015) – eMemory announces today the availability of logic NVM IPs for fingerprint applications, applicable for sensor trimming, user identification, and security code storage. By means of on-chip data management, encryption, authentication and information storage, fingerprint sensor allows application developers of mobile commerce, mobile banking, and APP to enhance user data protection and grasp the opportunity of rapid growth in mobile payment and IoT markets.

Comparing with other authentication systems, fingerprint is unique for each individual, permanent, and easy to use. Therefore, it is regarded as the perfect conditional-access approach to replace traditional user ID and password for fast, secure, and reliable access to mobile devices.

Since the advanced fingerprint-enabled smartphones have been introduced to the consumer electronic market, the demands of fingerprint sensors have grown immensely. As the adoptions reach mid-range and entry-level smartphone segments as well as the increasing popularity of mobile payment, the market size of fingerprint sensor expands spontaneously. Furthermore, with the development of cloud and big-data computing alongside the expansion of IoT applications, fingerprint applications further extend from smartphones to IoT-related products, including consumer electronics, car networking, smart home, artificial intelligence, healthcare, and cloud data centers. The stunning growth of smart devices is raising concerns about information security and the protection mechanism associated, which will become the driving force behind the increasing demand of fingerprint solutions.

According to market research firm IHS, the volume of fingerprint-enabled smartphones and tablets is expected to increase from 317 million units to 1.4 billion units worldwide by 2020, leading the global fingerprint sensor market to reach US$1.7 billion. IT consulting firm Gartner also points out, the number of internet-connected devices will reach 30 billion units by 2020, which create business opportunities valued at US$1.9 trillion and fuel the growth momentum for global fingerprint sensor market.

Targeting the market potential, eMemory’s logic NVM IPs cater for fingerprint applications. Unlike traditional metal-fuse or poly-fuse structure which features physical disconnection after large current burn-out, eMemory’s logic NVM IP uses floating gate structure to prevent reverse-engineering. Therefore, it effectively protects data from detection and interpolation to enhance information security, making eMemory’s silicon IP the optimal choice for fingerprint sensor solution providers.

eMemory offers complete OTP/MTP/EEPROM portfolios for broad range of applications. For fingerprint identification applications, eMemory offers low density OTP IPs for product serial number storage, sensor trimming, security key storage, as well as to high density OTP/MTP IPs for data algorithm and fingerprint data storage. eMemory logic NVM IP solutions are fully compatible with logic and mix-signal processes, which facilitate deployments in 0.35um-0.11um process platforms at worldwide foundries in speedy manner and support customers to enhance production flexibility while increasing cost competitiveness.

eMemory’s logic NVM IP solutions for fingerprint identification have already been adopted in many product design-ins and tape-outs, and soon to enter mass production stage. In the future, eMemory will continue expanding its logic NVM portfolios to deliver comprehensive solutions for fingerprint applications.

About eMemory:

eMemory (TWSE: 3529) is a global leader in logic process embedded non-volatile memory (eNVM) silicon IP. Since established in 2000, eMemory has been devoted to research and development of innovative technologies, offering the industry’s most comprehensive platforms of patented eNVM IP solutions include NeoBit^® (OTP silicon IP), NeoFuse^® (anti-fuse OTP silicon IP), NeoMTP^® (1,000+ times programmable silicon IP), NeoFlash^® (10,000+ times programmable silicon IP), and NeoEE^® (100,000+ times programmable silicon IP) to semiconductor foundries, integrated devices manufacturers (IDMs) and fabless design houses worldwide. eMemory’s eNVM silicon IPs support a wide range of applications include trimming, function selection, code storage, parameter setting, encryption, and identification setting. The company has the world’s largest NVM engineering team and prides itself on providing partners a full-service solution that sees the integration of eMemory eNVM IP from initial design stages through fabrication. For more information about eMemory, please visit www.eMemory.com.tw.