New Collaboration: Crypto Quantique and Attopsemi Simplify MCU PUF

Crypto Quantique, a company based in the UK, has partnered with Attopsemi Technology to streamline the use of physically unclonable functions (PUF) in order to enhance the security of microcontrollers and system on chip (SoC) devices.

Attopsemi, located in Taiwan, specializes in developing OTP IP (One-Time Programmable intellectual property) and has successfully integrated Crypto Quantique's PUF technology. This integration allows for the secure storage of PUF error correction data, known as 'helper data', within the OTP. The helper data remains invisible to users, ensuring that no data manipulation or corruption can occur, thus significantly increasing the security of the system. Moreover, this integrated approach ensures that the helper data does not occupy non-volatile memory space that may be required for other essential system functions.

According to Shahram Mossayebi, CEO of Crypto Quantique, "This collaboration marks a significant milestone in making our PUF technology more accessible and easier to implement for our customers and their end users. It not only saves design time and costs but also enhances security by mitigating the risk of side-channel attacks on stored security credentials."

The embedded hardware PUF technology, known as QDID, leverages the quantum tunnelling effect in on-chip memory to generate unique, immutable, and unclonable random numbers, thereby creating digital fingerprints. This process is based on measuring minute electron flows resulting from quantum tunnelling across the naturally varying gate oxide thickness in CMOS chip manufacturing processes. To ensure the consistency of the PUF fingerprint, some level of error correction is necessary, a role fulfilled by the helper data.

Attopsemi's I-fuse OTP utilizes a patented fuse structure that is programmed through heat-assisted electromigration below a breakpoint. It offers support for a wide voltage range, enabling rapid in-field programming, and occupies a minimal silicon area of approximately 0.027 mm2 for 8K bits.

The combination of QDID and I-fuse technologies facilitates the creation of a compact and secure hardware root-of-trust within any CMOS semiconductor manufactured at process nodes ranging from 12 nm to 55 nm. Meisie Jong, CEO of Attopsemi, highlighted the significance of this application in enhancing IoT device security, a critical concern for embedded developers today. The implementation of PUF technology is made simpler and more cost-effective through this innovative collaboration.

For more information, visit Crypto Quantique and Attopsemi.