The Boosted NFC security module series manufactured by MPS has now been awarded the Mobile Finance Secure Element Certificate by the China Financial Authentication body of the People’s Bank of China (PBOC). The certificate is a key enabler in the move to address the fast-growing mobile payment market in China.

With the Boosted NFC security module, hardware integration is made as easy as possible. At the core of the module is Infineon’s Boosted NFC Secure Element. It eliminates the need for a separate NFC controller which is typically required with conventional solutions to utilize card emulation functionality in a device.

Thanks to the booster technology, the NFC antenna and antenna matching components are included into the package. This significantly reduces PCB footprint by more than 75 percent – when using the smallest module of the series to only to 4mm x 4mm. Apart from that, software development efforts for the NFC system integration can be cut down.

Running on a standard Java security card operating system, the Boosted NFC security module furthermore allows flexible loading of multiple Java-based applications (applets) on smart devices.

The Boosted NFC security module is ideal for new product designs but can also be easily integrated into existing designs to extend functionality to include secure payment. Key element of the NFC security module is Infineon’s flagship SLE78 security chip which combines highest security performance with a storage capacity of more than 1 MB.

This provides sufficient memory to securely store user credentials and run multiple applications, enabling a single device to replace a variety of cards such as payment cards, public transport tickets and online payment tokens.

Infineon joined forces with MPS, a Beijing-based secure mobile payment expert specialized in ultra-small antenna-in-package designs to deliver this product. The companies developed the NFC security module series based on Infineon’s unique Boosted NFC Secure Element.