Core News Express | NIST selects Ascon as the international standard for lightweight encryption; the European research project Listen2Future is launched at Infineon

As a global semiconductor leader in power systems and the Internet of Things, Infineon Technologies recently announced that the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has decided to establish the Ascon algorithm developed by Christoph Dobraunig, Maria Eichlseder, Florian Mendel and Martin Schlaeffer as Lightweight encryption (LWC) international standard . NIST's encryption scheme selection process lasted several years. After multiple rounds of elimination, the most powerful and efficient algorithm was finally selected with the continued help of Infineon Technologies cryptographers Mendel and Schlaeffer.

The first version of Ascon was developed by Graz University of Technology (TU) in early 2014. Since then, teams from TU Graz, Infineon, Rama Security Research Center and Radboud University have further developed and improved the algorithm. Infineon's main contributions during this process include the efficient and safe implementation of this algorithm in hardware and software, as well as a comprehensive and thorough analysis of Ascon's security.

Thomas Rosteck, President of Infineon Technologies’ Secure Connected Systems Division

As early as 2019, Ascon won the championship in the lightweight application category of the "CAESAR Certified Encryption Algorithm Competition". Therefore, in the subsequent NIST competition, the Ascon algorithm was subjected to the most detailed and thorough analysis. NIST conducted multiple rounds of reviews of the performance and characteristics of 57 candidate algorithms during the public selection process, and examined the algorithm's flaws. Ascon was selected from ten candidate algorithms that entered the final round.

The Ascon algorithm currently includes several versions. Some or all of these versions may be incorporated into the LWC standard published by NIST. NIST will work with the Ascon team over the coming months to define the details of the standard. These versions provide developers with a set of cryptographic functions suitable for different tasks. In many usage scenarios, Ascon can replace symmetric encryption schemes and hash function functions (AES-GCM and SHA-2 or SHA-3), and the efficiency is greatly improved.

For many Infineon products running in network systems, the use of efficient and cost-effective encryption technology is crucial. For example, many sensor applications in the automotive industry can benefit, as well as power systems in numerous industrial applications. Infineon has been vigorously promoting standardization work in recent years. At the same time, Infineon Technologies' Secure Interconnect System Division has very advanced security expertise. Thanks to these two advantages, Infineon can comprehensively integrate Ascon encryption technology as soon as possible. Integrate into products and systems.

Led by Infineon Technologies, the European research project "Listen2Future" began to work with 27 partners from 7 countries to develop new miniature microphones and ultrasonic sensors for industrial and medical fields , thereby promoting high-precision miniaturized The development and implementation of products such as hearing aids, rapid infection control equipment for infants and young children, and wearable ultrasound patches.

European research project Listen2Future launched at Infineon

Currently, society as a whole faces fundamental issues such as healthcare, healthy aging, energy security, and product quality. As "sensory" sensor technology, micro-sensors such as microphones and ultrasonic sensors play an important role. Acting as "digital ears," the tiny sensors not only record sound signals but also speed up detection. The "Listen2Future" research project will significantly improve the performance of existing systems and develop new solutions to benefit society and human health.

The "Listen2Future" research project aims to promote the mass production of ultra-small microelectromechanical sensors ("MEMS sensors" for short) at a globally competitive cost advantage and expand their wide range of applications in industrial and medical fields. The research will improve the image resolution of ultrasound probes and develop mini hearing aids with top lossless sound quality, low power consumption and durability. In addition, the project will also focus on wearable ultrasound patches for areas such as early detection of heart disease, as well as ultrasound devices for rapid infection control in infants and young children. In addition, in the industrial field, the project will also conduct research on continuous material quality control and intelligent monitoring of energy infrastructure.

Sabine Herlitschka, CEO of Infineon Technologies Austria AG

Sabine Herlitschka, CEO of Infineon Technologies Austria AG, said: "The intersection of various disciplines can often bring about major scientific and technological innovations. Among them, the integration innovation of medicine and microelectronics is particularly obvious. Based on this, we can more accurately Vital sign detection creates huge potential for improving medical care. Based on the European "Listen2Future" research project, Infineon is working with outstanding partners from industry, medicine and scientific research to jointly demonstrate the application of "digital ears" in medical care. At the same time, we are also working together to make important contributions to promoting the application of acoustics in this key field.”

Europe already has a leading advantage in MEMS sensors, with a global market share of more than 40%. Based on the research results of this project, the market position of European companies will be further strengthened.

Adam White, President of Power and Sensing Systems Division, Infineon Technologies

Adam White, President of the Power and Sensing Systems Division at Infineon Technologies, said: "The global demand for miniaturized, energy-efficient system-level solutions is growing, and semiconductors play a key role in this. Sensors are responsible for collecting data, and microcontrollers are responsible for Process and transmit the data. Infineon offers high-quality MEMS microcontrollers and solutions. Through the "Listen2Future" research project, we can now further develop first-class acoustic sensor systems. At the same time, combined with efficient processors and artificial intelligence technology, With its expertise and technology accumulation in this field, Infineon will work side by side with its research partners to bring the performance of the entire system to a new level. This research has huge application potential and will create sustainable benefits in the long term.”

Infineon Technologies Micro MEMS Microphone

Miniature MEMS microphones enable lossless sound quality for hearing aids and hearing probes, smartphones or hands-free devices while consuming very little energy. In the medical field, examination using ultrasound technology is one of the most common diagnostic and treatment methods. This technology can be used to examine pregnancy, thyroid, liver or heart. In the industrial field, ultrasonic waves are used to detect friction, vibration phenomena or inspect damaged areas, so that problems can be found more easily and quickly during equipment maintenance or predictive maintenance. But these devices still have limitations: their performance is affected by the frequency range and will vary accordingly. Generally speaking, these devices can only provide snapshots and are large and expensive. The "Listen2Future" research team is working hard to solve related problems.

The research team is developing miniature piezoelectric ultrasonic sensors and microphone sensors based on new flexible film materials. Relying on the development of new materials and leading sensor concepts, such electronic devices are expected to provide more accurate signals, clearer images, and better sound quality, as well as scalability, flexible adaptability, and low power consumption. Currently, research based on the entire development chain is in full swing, covering everything from materials, design, signal processing, assembly and packaging technology, software development and artificial intelligence algorithms to integrable small system-level solutions. Ultimately, the entire system will become more intelligent, compact, robust, energy-saving, and flexible.

About 34 million people in Europe are hearing-impaired, but only about one-third of them have access to professional support and hearing aids. Hearing aids that are smaller and easier to use will significantly increase their acceptance by people with hearing loss and improve the level of medical care. The technological advancement of MEMS piezoelectric microphones is expected to realize the smallest, most robust and waterproof product design, and reduce power consumption by more than 15% through efficient energy conversion. This will not only improve the user experience and make the hearing aid more comfortable to wear, but will also extend the battery life of the hearing aid.

A new small ultrasound probe can quickly and easily diagnose infections in infants and young children, as well as life-threatening diseases such as meningitis, painlessly and non-invasively. The highly integrated and cost-effective MEMS technology developed by the "Listen2 Future" research project will help promote the widespread popularization of the above-mentioned devices, making them widely used in scenarios outside hospitals or in developing countries. The findings could help further reduce neonatal mortality in developing countries.

The research project is also expected to significantly advance the development of flexible ultrasound patches. Wearable ultrasound patches enable permanent, continuous and non-invasive cardiac monitoring, such as monitoring cardiac output, blood supply deficiency and heart pumping capacity. In the future, patients will be able to painlessly and continuously monitor their heart function autonomously at home through an ultrasound patch attached to their chest. In addition, doctors will obtain more information to provide better medical services and reduce the length of hospital stay for patients.

Thanks to this research project, new developments have been made in integrated systems for the continuous monitoring of materials and quality. With the above technologies and systems, engineers will be able to accurately detect the status of aerospace components to understand their remaining service life. Online condition monitoring of the power grid will be able to continuously monitor key components to prevent unexpected failures and optimize predictive maintenance capabilities.