STMicroelectronics sells over 1 billion ST33 secure chips

Semiconductor company STMicroelectronics has recorded cumulative sales of over 1 billion units for its ST33 embedded-security ICs, reflecting the growing imperative to protect data and systems in secure mobile-consumer, smart-driving, smart-industry and smart-cities applications.

Based on a common certified secure platform featuring state-of-the-art cyber protection, the ST33 family’s flexible architecture has enabled ST to lead the development of new classes of security chips including embedded SIMs (eSIMs), embedded Secure Elements (eSEs) and Trusted Platform Modules (TPMs). These provide hardened security in user-friendly form factors, combining convenience with strong resistance to cyber attacks.

“ST33 chips have driven the evolution of embedded security for the ubiquitous connected smart objects such as smartphones, wearables and IoT devices that make today’s world work,” said Laurent Degauque, Marketing Director, Secure Microcontroller Division, STMicroelectronics.

“As the first such devices to adopt the advanced Arm SecurCore SC300 secure processor, and with the advantage of our flexible architecture and advanced Flash technology, the family has consistently provided protection that meets the highest industry standards while enabling the integration of new features such as interfaces and accelerators to support emerging use cases.”

The ST33 is suitable for SIM vendors, operating system developers and major Tier-1 manufacturers producing equipment such as smartphones, wearables, security readers, desktop PCs and servers. ST33 secure chips have been selected by major smartphone OEMs to deploy new eSIM-based devices, taking advantage of a smaller and thinner WLCSP (Wafer Level Chip Scale Package) and GSMA-compliant Personalization-on-Wafer industrial flow.

In 2018, ST was the first chip manufacturer to earn the GSMA SAS-UP (Security Accreditation Scheme for UICC Production) certification to personalise ST33 eSIMs for mobiles and connected IoT devices with no further programming required by the OEMs.