Infineon Technologies is getting involved in the development of innovative protection mechanisms for chip cards. In conjunction with the biotechnology specialist from Erlangen, Germany, november AG, experts from the two companies are collaborating on a method of providing a coating for the gold contact surface of the module on chip cards. The chip card module, which houses the security controller beneath, is to be coated using methods developed by november AG, enabling it to have unique identification features.

Special coating with a multitude of faces
The gold module on chip cards, familiar from prepaid phone cards, health insurance cards and banking cards, is the link to reader equipment such as ATMs. Much as the watermark on a banknote, the coating applied by november AG adds another layer of identification information to the security system. This coating provides visual verification that the module, and therefore the chip beneath, originate from a trustworthy source. This coating technology will be employed primarily for high security controller applications, where confidential information stored on the chip cards is read, modified and stored once more. The coating is also highly resistant to abrasion, so that even after being used thousands of times, the security features do not lose integrity or quality.

Credit cards, charge cards, digital ID papers and electronic travel tickets represent just a small part of the possible areas of application in which an anti-counterfeiting chip housing might be used. The principle behind this chip card module identification feature is based on a special coating, the composition of which remains a closely guarded secret of november AG. Customers may choose to have the "watermark" on the chip modules in different colors that shimmer according to how the light strikes them, or it can even take the form of product and company logos. Selective laser scanning of the structure of the coating permits authentication of the identity of the chip card module.

Expertise and know-how for a manifold world of chip cards
Over the coming months, Infineon Technologies and november AG will first be investigating the applicability of the special coating for current and future generations of chip modules. "Ever since Infineon began its business activities within the chip card industry some 15 years ago, security has been a key issue for chip development. Infineon has acquired wide-ranging security expertise in the chip card field gaining a long-standing market-leading position," said Dr. Hermann Eul, vice president and general manager of the Security & Chip Card ICs business group at Infineon Technologies. "We are demonstrating particular commitment to research and development of new security mechanisms for this fast-growing market. And this will in turn be reflected in innovative and pioneering products." The market launch of the first chip card modules with this security feature on the contact surface is currently scheduled for the start of 2003. Further information on Infineon's security and chip card ICs is available at www.infineon.com/security_and_chipcard_ics