New Microchip Tech Protects Vehicles from Laser Attacks

New research underlines a multi-layer, insulating FD-SOI design that makers argue can shield automotive microchips from laser fault injection attacks[.]According to the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) and Soitec, this Fully Depleted Silicon-on-Insulator approach raises the bar for cyber-physical attacks by restricting energy spread and requiring far more laser power and time to cause faults.

FD-SOI’s BOX layer helps isolate transistors, making fault injection attacks far more time-consuming—10 minutes on a standard chip versus 10 hours on a FD-SOI chip, according to the report. The work notes that modern vehicles rely on numerous MCUs and that attackers could exploit in-vehicle infotainment or wireless keys, but the FD-SOI substrate design aims to curb such tampering while also aiding regulatory compliance. Regulators are treating laser fault injection as a worst-case risk, with UN Regulation No.

155 and ISO/SAE 21434 cited as frameworks that emphasise hardware manipulation risks. The piece also stresses that while FD-SOI is not unhackable, its simpler, planar structure could lead to lower die costs and more predictable yields, supporting broader adoption in automotive electronics.