Tamper-respondent assemblies with enclosure-to-board protection

• US 10,172,232 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2017
• Issued: 01/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Brodsky, William L., Busby, James A., Cohen, Edward N., Dragone, Silvio, Fisher, Michael J., Long, David C., Peets, Michael T., Santiago-Fernandez, William, Weiss, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): Akhter, Sharmin
• Application Number:
  US15/827,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20180098423A1
• Time in Patent Office: 397 Days
• Field of Search: 3405682, 34053931, 340649-653, 428121, 428124, 428125, 428126, 428128, 428245, 428915, 428916, 361654, 361672
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/128 the housing being an electronic circuit unit, e.g. memory or CPU chip protecting computer components in secure or tamper resistant housings G06F21/86; protecting computer input devices, e.g. keyboards G06F21/83
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0216 Reduction of cross-talk, noise or electromagnetic interference grounding H05K1/0215
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0275 Security details, e.g. tampering prevention or detection
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/112 directly combined with via connections
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/181 associated with surface mounted components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10151 Sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10265 Metallic coils or springs, e.g. as part of a connection element
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10371 Shields or metal cases
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/22 Secondary treatment of printed circuits H05K3/1283 takes precedence; embedding circuits in grooves by pressure H05K3/107
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0208 Interlock mechanisms; Means for avoiding unauthorised use or function, e.g. tamperproof

Abstract

Tamper-respondent assemblies and fabrication methods are provided which incorporate enclosure to circuit board protection. The tamper-respondent assemblies include a circuit board, and an electronic enclosure mounted to the circuit board and facilitating enclosing at least one electronic component within a secure volume. A tamper-respondent electronic circuit structure facilitates defining the secure volume, and the tamper-respondent electronic circuit structure includes a tamper-respondent circuit. An adhesive is provided to secure, in part, the electronic enclosure to the circuit board. The adhesive contacts, at least in part, the tamper-respondent circuit so that an attempted separation of the electronic enclosure from the circuit board causes the adhesive to break the tamper-respondent circuit, facilitating detection of the separation by a monitor circuit of the tamper-respondent electronic circuit structure.

Claims

1. A tamper-respondent assembly comprising:

a circuit board;

an enclosure adhesively secured to a surface of the circuit board via a first adhesive, the enclosure facilitating enclosing at least one electronic component within a secure volume;

a tamper-respondent electronic circuit structure facilitating defining the secure volume, the tamper-respondent electronic circuit structure comprising a tamper-respondent circuit with at least one circuit line disposed on the surface of the circuit board and extending around an inner periphery of an enclosure-to-board interface where the enclosure mounts to the circuit board via the first adhesive; and

a second adhesive securing, in part, the enclosure to the circuit board, the second adhesive being a different adhesive than the first adhesive, and covering, at least in part, the tamper-respondent circuit of the tamper-respondent electronic circuit structure, wherein the second adhesive is disposed, in part, on the surface of the circuit board at the inner periphery of the enclosure-to-board interface where the enclosure mounts to the circuit board, and the second adhesive extends around the inner periphery of the enclosure-to-board interface where the enclosure mounts to the circuit board, and separation of the electronic enclosure from the circuit board causes the second adhesive to break the tamper-respondent circuit, thereby facilitating detection of the separation.

2. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 1, wherein the tamper-respondent electric circuit structure further comprises an inner-sidewall tamper-respondent sensor disposed over an inner sidewall of the enclosure, and facilitating defining the secure volume, the adhesive further contacting, at least in part, the inner-sidewall tamper-respondent sensor.

3. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 1, wherein the tamper-respondent assembly further comprises an electrically conductive encapsulant, the electrically conductive encapsulant being disposed at the periphery of the enclosure-to-board interface, where the electronic enclosure mounts to the circuit board, to facilitate electrical connection between the enclosure and a ground plane of the circuit board.

4. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 1, wherein the tamper-respondent assembly further comprises a plurality of electrical contacts between the circuit board and enclosure, and spaced about the periphery of the enclosure-to-board interface, where the enclosure mounts to the circuit board, the plurality of electrical contacts facilitating electrical connection of the electronic enclosure to the circuit board to suppress, at least in part, electromagnetic interference (EMI) at the enclosure-to-board interface.

5. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 4, wherein the plurality of electrical contacts comprise a plurality of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) springs disposed between the enclosure and the circuit board along the periphery of the enclosure-to-board interface.

6. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 1, wherein the tamper-respondent electronic circuit structure further comprises a monitor circuit powered by a power source, the monitor circuit identifying an intrusion event upon loss of power from the power source, and wherein the tamper-respondent circuit electrically connects, at least in part, the power source to the monitor circuit so that breaking of the tamper-respondent circuit results in loss of power to the monitor circuit, and thereby detection of the intrusion event.

7. A tamper-respondent assembly comprising:

a circuit board;

at least one electronic component associated with the circuit board;

an enclosure adhesively secured to a surface of the circuit board via a first adhesive, the enclosure facilitating enclosing at least one electronic component within a secure volume;

a tamper-respondent electronic circuit structure facilitating defining the secure volume, the tamper-respondent electronic circuit structure comprising a tamper-respondent circuit with at least one circuit line disposed on the surface of the circuit board and extending around an inner periphery of an enclosure-to-board interface where the enclosure mounts to the circuit board via the first adhesive; and

a second adhesive securing, in part, the enclosure to the circuit board, the second adhesive being a different adhesive than the first adhesive, and covering, at least in part, the tamper-respondent circuit of the tamper-respondent electronic circuit structure, wherein the second adhesive is disposed, in part, on the surface of the circuit board at the inner periphery of the enclosure-to-board interface where the enclosure mounts to the circuit board, and the second adhesive extends around the inner periphery of the enclosure-to-board interface where the enclosure mounts to the circuit board, and separation of the electronic enclosure from the circuit board causes the second adhesive to break the tamper-respondent circuit, thereby facilitating detection of the separation.

8. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 7, wherein the circuit board includes a groove sized to receive an edge of the enclosure where the enclosure mounts to the circuit board, and wherein the tamper-respondent circuit is disposed on an upper surface of the circuit board within the secure volume at the inner periphery of the enclosure-to-board interface, where the enclosure mounts to the circuit board.

9. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 7, wherein the tamper-respondent assembly further comprises an electrically conductive encapsulant, the electrically conductive encapsulant being disposed at the periphery of the enclosure-to-board interface, where the electronic enclosure mounts to the circuit board, to facilitate electrical connection between the enclosure and a ground plane of the circuit board.

10. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 7, wherein the tamper-respondent assembly further comprises a plurality of electrical contacts between the circuit board and the enclosure, and spaced about the periphery of the enclosure-to-board interface, where the enclosure mounts to the circuit board, the plurality of electrical contacts facilitating electrical connection of the enclosure to the circuit board to suppress, at least in part, electromagnetic interference (EMI) at the enclosure-to-board interface.

11. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 10, wherein the plurality of electrical contacts comprise a plurality of electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) springs disposed between the enclosure and the circuit board along the periphery of the enclosure-to-board interface.

12. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 7, wherein the tamper-respondent electronic circuit structure further comprises a monitor circuit powered by a power source, the monitor circuit identifying an intrusion event upon loss of power from the power source, and wherein the tamper-respondent circuit electrically connects, at least in part, the power source to the monitor circuit so that breaking of the tamper-respondent circuit, and thereby detection of the intrusion event.

13. A fabrication method comprising:

fabricating a tamper-respondent assembly, the fabricating comprising;

providing a circuit board;

providing an enclosure to adhesively secured to a surface of the circuit board via a first adhesive, the enclosure enclosing at least one electronic component within a secure volume;

providing a tamper-respondent electronic circuit structure facilitating defining the secure volume, the tamper-respondent electronic circuit structure comprising a tamper-respondent circuit with at least one circuit line disposed on the surface of the circuit board and extending around an inner periphery of an enclosure-to-board interface where the enclosure mounts to the circuit board via the first adhesive; and

providing a second adhesive securing, in part, the enclosure to the circuit board, the second adhesive being a different adhesive than the first adhesive, and covering, at least in part, the tamper-respondent circuit of the tamper-respondent electronic circuit structure, wherein the second adhesive is disposed, in part, on the surface of the circuit board at the inner periphery of the enclosure-to-board interface where the enclosure mounts to the circuit board, and the second adhesive extends around the inner periphery of the enclosure-to-board interface where the enclosure mounts to the circuit board, and separation of the electronic enclosure from the circuit board causes the second adhesive to break the tamper-respondent circuit, thereby facilitating detection of the separation.