Soitec and CEA Advance Automotive Cybersecurity with FD-SOI Substrate Technology

Strategic Insights -

Research conducted at CEA-Leti laboratories, in collaboration with Soitec, has demonstrated the effectiveness of Fully Depleted Silicon-on-Insulator (FD-SOI) technology in delivering strong intrinsic protection against hardware-level cyber attacks targeting modern connected vehicles. The study found that FD-SOI substrates require up to 150 times greater effort and higher laser power to induce a fault compared to 28-nanometer bulk silicon. This resilience significantly reduces the attack surface, raising the cost and complexity of intrusion attempts. The findings position FD-SOI as a key enabler for next-generation automotive cybersecurity.

Key Takeaways:

  • Soitec and CEA have demonstrated that FD-SOI technology can deliver strong intrinsic protection against hardware-level cyber attacks targeting modern connected vehicles.
  • Research conducted at CEA-Leti laboratories found that FD-SOI substrates require up to 150 times greater effort and higher laser power to induce a fault compared to 28-nanometer bulk silicon.
  • The built-in defences in FD-SOI substrates, such as the buried oxide layer, prevent most physical fault mechanisms, making them a promising platform for secure "reference chips" used to store vehicle encryption codes.
  • Future enhancements like buried optical barriers, integrated sensors, and Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs) are expected to further strengthen chip-level protection.
  • The findings position FD-SOI as a key enabler for next-generation automotive cybersecurity, with the potential to reduce the attack surface and increase the cost and complexity of intrusion attempts.

Statistics:

  • Up to 150 times greater effort and higher laser power is required to induce a fault in FD-SOI substrates compared to 28-nanometer bulk silicon.
  • The buried oxide layer in FD-SOI substrates prevents most physical fault mechanisms, such as voltage or laser-induced disruptions.

Sources:

  • M2 EQUITYBITES-October 20, 2025-Soitec and CEA advance automotive cybersecurity with FD-SOI substrate technology (C)2025 M2 COMMUNICATIONS http://www.m2.co.uk