Crypto Quantique has announced a collaboration with Attopsemi Technology, a provider of One-Time Programmable (OTP) intellectual property based in Hsinchu, Taiwan. The partnership combines Crypto Quantique’s QDID physical unclonable function (PUF) with Attopsemi’s I-fuse OTP technology, enabling secure storage of PUF error correction data within the OTP. This data, known as ‘helper data’, remains hidden from users and is protected from manipulation or corruption, ensuring a highly secure approach. Additionally, by storing the helper data in the OTP, non-volatile memory space is preserved for other essential system functions.
Crypto Quantique’s QDID PUF, which complies with NIST standards, leverages the quantum tunnelling effect to create unique, immutable, and unclonable random numbers that serve as digital fingerprints within semiconductors, typically microcontrollers (MCUs) and systems on chips (SoCs). The technology measures the minuscule electron flows caused by quantum tunnelling across naturally varying gate oxide thickness in the CMOS chip manufacturing process. To ensure the PUF fingerprint is reliable, some degree of error correction is required, which is handled by the helper data.
Attopsemi’s I-fuse OTP, featuring a patented fuse structure, is recognised for its reliability. The I-fuse OTP is programmed using heat-assisted electromigration, operating below a defined breakpoint. It supports a broad voltage range for rapid, in-field programming and occupies a small silicon footprint, approximately 0.027 mm² for 8K bits.
The integration of QDID and I-fuse technologies allows for the creation of a secure and compact hardware root-of-trust within any CMOS semiconductor produced at process nodes between 12 nm and 55 nm.
“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,” said Shahram Mossayebi, CEO, Crypto Quantique.
“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,” added Meisie Jong, CEO, Attopsemi.
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