Crypto Quantique teams up with Attopsemi to simplify the implementation of PUF technology in MCUs and SoCs

LONDON, UK -- October 10, 2024 -- Crypto Quantique, a provider of quantum-driven security for the Internet of Things (IoT), has announced a collaboration with Attopsemi Technology, a leading provider of OTP IP (One-Time Programmable intellectual property) located in Hsinchu, Taiwan. The companies have integrated Crypto Quantique’s QDID physical unclonable function (PUF) with Attopsemi’s I-fuse® OTP technology so that PUF error correction data can be stored securely in the OTP. The error correction data, called ‘helper data’, is not visible to the user and no data manipulation or corruption is possible, making this approach highly secure. The integrated technology also means that helper data does not take up non-volatile memory space that may be needed for other system functions.

The NIST-compliant QDID embedded hardware PUF exploits the quantum tunnelling effect to generate unique, immutable, and unclonable random numbers to produce digital fingerprints within semiconductors, most commonly MCUs and SoCs. The technology is based on measuring tiny electron flows caused by quantum tunnelling across the naturally varying gate oxide thickness in the CMOS chip manufacturing processes. For the PUF fingerprint to be consistent, some error correction is needed, and helper data performs that role.

Attopsemi’s I-fuse® OTP is the most reliable OTP with patented fuse structure. The I-fuse® OTP is programmed by heat-assisted electromigration below a breakpoint. It supports a wide voltage range for rapid, in-field programming and requires a very small silicon area of around 0.027 mm2 for 8K bits.

The combination of QDID and I-fuse® technologies enables a compact and secure hardware root-of-trust to be created within any CMOS semiconductor manufactured at process nodes between 12 nm and 55 nm.

Shahram Mossayebi, Crypto Quantique’s CEO, commented, "This collaboration is an important step in making our QDID PUF more accessible and easier to implement for our customers and their end users. It saves design time and cost while boosting security by eliminating the risk of side-channel attacks on stored security credentials."

Meisie Jong, Attopsemi’s CEO, added, “This application is a perfect example of how OTP technology can contribute to IoT device security, one of the biggest challenges facing embedded developers today. It makes PUF implementation simpler and more cost-effective.”

A technical paper on these technologies is available here.

About Crypto Quantique

Crypto Quantique is the first software and IP (Intellectual Property) company to create end-to-end IoT security that can be seamlessly integrated from chip design to cloud connectivity. It has partnerships with major semiconductor companies including STMicroelectronics, Microchip, and Renesas, and OEMs like Würth Elektronik. Crypto Quantique is headquartered in London, UK, and has offices in the US, Europe and Taiwan.

More information is available at https://cryptoquantique.com.

About Attopsemi Technology

Attopsemi Technology is a state of art OTP IP (intellectual property) provider located in Hsinchu, Taiwan. Since its founding in 2010, the company has been dedicated to developing and licensing fuse-based OTP IP for all CMOS processes, HKMG, FDSOI and FinFET technologies. Attopsemi’s OTP solutions feature small size, low voltage/current programming/read, high quality, high reliability, low power, high speed, wide temperature and high data security. Attopsemi’s proprietary I-fuse® OTPs have been proven in CMOS and other technologies from 0.7 um to 12 nm in numerous advanced foundries, and has been adopted by many customers in automotive, IoT, and other applications.

More information is available at https://www.attopsemi.com