Cypress Semiconductor Corporation

Kurt S Schwartz

Michael Andrew Borza

Qidao Li

A memory device including a ferroelectric memory array is described. In one embodiment, the ferroelectric memory array includes a user memory space. The memory device includes control logic configured to provide external read and write access for a host system to the user memory space upon authentication between the host system and the memory device. The host system accesses the user memory space and communicates with the control logic through address, data and control buses. The memory device further includes memory interface configured to interface between the address, data and control buses and the control logic, and through which the host system communicates with the control logic, and a cipher engine in communication with the control logic and the memory interface, the cipher engine comprising a random number generator and an encryption/decryption block. Other embodiments are also described.

Authenticating ferroelectric random access memory (F-RAM) device and method

An F-RAM authenticating memory device and method providing secure mutual authentication between a Host system and a memory in order to gain read/write access to the F-RAM user memory contents. The device and technique of the present invention uses an Advanced Encryption Standard AES128 encryption module in conjunction with a true hardware random number generator and basic exclusive OR (XOR) functions in order to achieve a secure algorithm with a relatively small amount of processing. Due to inherently faster write times than that of conventional floating gate non-volatile memory technologies, the use of F-RAM significantly reduces the time available to interfere with a critical security parameter (CSP) update. Moreover, unlike floating gate technologies, F-RAM's read vs. write current signature is balanced making it less prone to side channel attacks while also providing relatively faster erase times.

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Colorado Springs, CO, United States of America

Kurt S Schwartz