New crypto controller platform enables excellent flexibility and advanced protection for contactless and hygienic transactions

February 19, 2021

Press Release

The new hardware platform is supplemented with a SOLID Flash™ memory and is optionally available with or without the latest application solutions. The product families come complete with a full range of dual interface and contactless modules including traditional and inductive coupling technologies.

The crypto controller platform offers outstanding performance and flexibility for contactless payment, ID, ticketing, and access applications. With this, Infineon particularly supports the increasing trend towards digital and connected devices that meet the latest cryptographic requirements for AES and ECC. Contactless transactions can be reliably secured and at the same time transaction times can be further reduced. This also qualifies the 40 nm technology platform as a basis for SECORA™ solutions, especially for payment, IoT, and ID applications.

Since the outbreak of the corona pandemic (Covid-19), many people prefer contactless and hygienic transactions and payment methods. In 2019, 25 percent of the citizens in Germany used cashless payment methods, whereas by 2020, 50 percent were already choosing cards over cash. Globally, contactless transactions using cards and wearable devices grew by 40 percent; 80 percent of these for amounts less than US$ 25 – an area previously dominated by cash payments. The trend towards further contactless digitalization is likewise unstoppable in ID and transit applications.

“With the increasing demand for contactless ID, transit and payment transactions, high-performance smart security architectures and products are required to withstand the ever more stringent security requirements of post-quantum security while maintaining high contactless performance,” said Ioannis Kabitoglou, Senior Vice President & General Manager Smart Card Solutions at Infineon. “We have leveraged our know-how and cross-industry expertise in security and PQC design to develop, qualify and certify the next generation of the leading dual-interface security controller. With the 40 nm platform, we have been able to reduce development efforts for our customers through accelerated product and solution design and enable rapid time-to-market.”

Faster time-to-market with a high level of security

Based on the ARM ® SecurCore ® SC300 architecture, the 40 nm family covers the full range of the market, from the smallest to the most powerful chip, and in compliance with the latest cryptological requirements for ECC and AES. The family's design supports different payment and ID applications with varying solution and memory requirements. Due to fast release and short lead times based on innovative logistics concepts, the platform has successfully been introduced to customers in a very short time with increased flexibility and reduced efforts at the same time. This speeds up time-to-market and allows customers to optimize their research and development resources. The products' outstanding performance capabilities and full compliance with all open standards also support the implementation of sophisticated payment, ID, and multi-applications.

In particular, wearables with small form factors, such as watches, rings, jewelry, and metal cards benefit from this. The supported standards are ISO14443 type A/B, ISO18092 (NFC) for contactless and ISO7816 for contact-based interfaces. The platform offers the highest performance for 40 nm products with internal clock frequencies of up to 100 MHz, which is particularly crucial for short transaction times. Products of the platform can be adapted to all regional requirements, thus addressing global markets and supporting regional market requirements.

Availability

Products of the 40nm SLC36 / SLC37 controller-based crypto platforms are available as of now. Certificates from EMVCo and BSI for CC are available. More information is available at www.infineon.com/slc36-37-40nm.