40nm security chip enhances Vietnam's national ID card

8th December 2021

James Anstee

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Electronic IDs (eID) can serve to legalise a person's identity in the form of a legal document. In addition to simply identifying the citizen, the functionality of national eIDs can also be expanded to enable people to access government services and benefits online. This eliminates the need to stand in long lines at local government offices, which is a major advantage, especially in times of pandemics.

In Vietnam, such a state-of-the-art and eID document is now becoming a reality: for the enhancement of the national ID card, Infineon Technologies AG partners with MK Smart, a subsidiary of MK Group. By delivering the chip and its operating system on smart cards capable of securely storing ICAO-compliance e-ID data, they enable protected biometrics and digital signing to access citizenry services on government and private portals. Citizens can also use the card for authentication with government bodies and banks. To enable these features, Infineon supplied the SLC37 security controller using the latest 40nm security chip technology and an innovative dual-interface packaging (Coil on Module).

Coil on Module allows the chip module to communicate with the card antenna via radio frequency. This eliminates the need to weld, solder or glue chip modules to the card antenna. For MK Smart, this simplifies the card production process and eliminates the need to invest in welding or soldering equipment. Coil on Module counteracts the risk of physical connection breakage between the chip and the card's antenna, making the card more robust and reducing yield loss during card production. This allows MK Smart to meet the project timeline and production target set by the government in Vietnam.

In the field of government ID development, memory size and multi-interface are leading trends. Thus, the large memory size and dual interface capabilities of the SLC37 security controller support the development and expansion of various smart card applications for the Vietnam eID. With MK’s operating system developed and supported in Vietnam, both the government and private sector can easily and quickly introduce new applications to increase the usage of the National ID.

Vietnam is the next growth market in the ASEAN region. Their national eID project has paved the way for Infineon to develop and expand expertise in applications such as payments, transportation, and secured smart city solutions. Infineon has significant experience in working with local market leaders and can leverage its expertise in developing local content for the most advanced security chip on the market – while understanding the requirements. More information about the SLC37 security controller is available