Commercial production of integrated circuits using 28 nm technology nodes began several years ago. As the process technology has matured, market demand for 28 nm products has also increased. Although offering numerous advantages, security applications have not been among the main applications of this technology, thus far. Infineon Technologies AG introduced SLC26P, the first security IC targeting high-volume payment applications based on the future-proof 28 nm technology node.
“Infineon is the first to make use of the 28 nm technology node for smart card ICs. This step emphasizes our long-term commitment to the security IC market,” said Ioannis Kabitoglou, Head of Digital Security & Identity Business Line of Infineon. “The SLC26P is the first smart card IC product that will be manufactured in 28 nm technology. We are planning for a fast ramp of production in the first half of 2023. This will help us deliver to the continued high demand for cutting-edge security solutions and relieve the negative impact of the semiconductor shortages in security ICs.”
Infineon has been working with long term partner TSMC to develop security IC products based on a 28 nm technology node. Capacity issues at mature technologies like 90 nm, 65 nm, and 40 nm have been a limiting factor for the strong demand in security applications. Silicon foundries, for this reason, have been building new capacities to address these limitations. By enabling the 28 nm technology node for security ICs, Infineon not only offers the market increased sourcing flexibility but also empowers higher performance as well as more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly products for this segment. The portfolio of products based on 28 nm will serve state-of-the-art smart card and embedded security IC applications in the coming years, including payment and transportation markets as well as identity and authentication solutions.
Infineon’s SLC26P is the first security controller optimized for payments based on the 28 nm technology – an EMVCo certification is expected to be available within December 2022. The IC delivers unmatched performance for the payment industry, combined with the highest security standards. It features state-of-the-art Arm v8-M architecture optimized for deeply embedded systems and designed for low-latency processing.
