Semiconductor device including a unique identifier and error correction code

• US 20070002658A1
• Filed: 06/30/2005
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: SigmaTel Incorporated (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Baker, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,761,773 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 365/225.700
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 17/18 Auxiliary circuits, e.g. for writing into memory

Abstract

A semiconductor device includes a plurality of laser fuses and each laser fuse represents a bit of data. A first set of the plurality of laser fuses represents a unique identifier that corresponds to the semiconductor device. Also, a second set of the plurality of laser fuses represents error correction coding data that corresponds to the unique identifier. The unique identifier can be a digital rights management identification. Also, the error correction coding data is configured for use by a Reed-Solomon error correcting method to correct the unique identifier. Alternatively, the error correction coding data is configured for use by a cyclic redundancy check method.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a plurality of laser fuses, each laser fuse representing a bit of data;

wherein a first set of the plurality of laser fuses represents a unique identifier corresponding to the semiconductor device; and

wherein a second set of the plurality of laser fuses represents error correction coding data corresponding to the unique identifier.

2. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of laser fuses includes no more than 512 laser fuses.

3. The semiconductor device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of laser fuses includes no more than 384 laser fuses.

4. The semiconductor device of claim 3, wherein the first set of laser fuses comprises up to 64 laser fuses that represent the unique identifier.

5. The semiconductor device of claim 4, wherein the second set of laser fuses comprises up to 64 laser fuses that represent the error correction coding data.

6. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the unique identifier includes a digital rights management identification.

7. The semiconductor device of claim 6, wherein the unique identifier further includes manufacturing information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the manufacturing information includes at least one of the following:

a lot code, a wafer number, and a die position.

9. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the error correction coding data is configured for use by a Reed-Solomon error correcting method to correct the unique identifier.

10. The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the error correction coding data is configured for use by a cyclic redundancy check method.

11. The semiconductor device of claim 1, further comprising an analog-to-digital converter coupled to an analog source.

12. The semiconductor device of claim 11, further comprising a digital-to-analog converter coupled to the analog-to-digital converter.

13. The semiconductor device of claim 12, further comprising a universal serial bus driver coupled to a universal serial bus port.

14. The semiconductor device of claim 13, further comprising an amplifier coupled to the digital-to-analog converter.

15. The semiconductor device of claim 14, further comprising a direct current-to-direct current converter coupled to a secondary battery, the secondary battery providing power to the analog-to-digital converter, the digital-to-analog converter, the amplifier, the universal serial bus driver, and the universal serial bus port.

16. A method of evaluating a unique identifier from a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

reading the unique identifier from the semiconductor device, wherein the unique identifier is represented by a first plurality of laser fuses within the semiconductor device; and

reading error correction coding data from the semiconductor device, wherein the error correction coding data corresponds to the unique identifier and the error correction coding data is represented by a second plurality of laser fuses within the semiconductor device.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

performing an error correction method for the unique identifier using the error correction data.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the unique identifier is represented by a set of 64 laser fuses.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the error correction coding data is represented by a set of 64 laser fuses.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the unique identifier includes a digital rights management identification.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the unique identifier includes manufacturing information.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the manufacturing information includes at least one of the following:

a lot code, a wafer number, and a die position.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein the error correction method is the Reed-Solomon error correction method.

24. An audio system, comprising:

a semiconductor device including an analog-to-digital converter, a digital-to-analog converter coupled to the analog-to-digital converter, an amplifier coupled to the digital-to-analog converter, and a laser fuse bank within the semiconductor device, the laser fuse bank comprising;

a plurality of laser fuses, each laser fuse representing a bit of data;

wherein a first set of the plurality of laser fuses represents a unique identifier corresponding to the semiconductor device; and

wherein a second set of the plurality of laser fuses represents error correction coding data corresponding to the unique identifier.

25. The audio system of claim 24, wherein the plurality of laser fuses includes no more than 512 laser fuses.

26. The audio system of claim 25, wherein the plurality of laser fuses includes no more than 384 laser fuses.

27. The audio system of claim 26, wherein the first set of laser fuses comprises up to 64 laser fuses.

28. The audio system of claim 27, wherein the second set of laser fuses comprises up to 64 laser fuses.

29. The audio system of claim 24, wherein the unique identifier includes a digital rights management identification.

30. The audio system of claim 24, wherein the unique identifier includes manufacturing information.

31. The audio system of claim 30, wherein the manufacturing information includes at least one of the following:

a lot code, a wafer number, and a die position.

32. The audio system of claim 24, further comprising a secondary battery coupled to the semiconductor device.

33. The audio system of claim 24, wherein the system can receive and decode an audio file when the unique identifier is authenticated.

34. The audio system of claim 24, further comprising a microphone coupled to the analog-to-digital converter.

35. The audio system of claim 24, further comprising a frequency modulation tuner coupled to the analog-to-digital converter.

36. The audio system of claim 24, further comprising a hard drive coupled to the semiconductor device.

37. The audio system of claim 24, further comprising a flash memory coupled to the semiconductor device.

38. The audio system of claim 24, further comprising a random access memory device coupled to the semiconductor device.

39. The audio system of claim 24, further comprising a secondary battery coupled to the semiconductor device.

40. The audio system of claim 39, further comprising a battery recharge module coupled to the secondary battery.

41. The audio system of claim 40, further comprising a battery level check module coupled to the secondary battery.

42. A method of using a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

retrieving a plurality of laser fuse settings at a processor coupled to a laser;

selectively energizing the laser in order to ablate a first group of a plurality of laser fuses on the semiconductor device in order to program a unique identifier, the first group of the plurality of laser fuses determined based on the plurality of laser fuse settings; and

computing error correction coding data that corresponds to the unique identifier for the semiconductor device.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising:

selectively energizing the laser in order to ablate a second group of the plurality of laser fuses on the semiconductor device in order to program error correction coding data corresponding to the unique identifier.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the semiconductor device comprises a wafer having a plurality of semiconductor dies and each semiconductor die includes laser fuses that represent the unique identifier and that represent the error correction coding data corresponding to the unique identifier.

45. The method of claim 44, further comprising:

selectively energizing the laser in order to ablate a third group of the plurality of laser fuses on the semiconductor device.

46. A system, comprising:

a semiconductor device including a laser fuse bank, the laser fuse bank comprising;

a plurality of laser fuses, each laser fuse representing a bit of data;

wherein a first set of the plurality of laser fuses represents a unique identifier corresponding to the semiconductor device; and

wherein a second set of the plurality of laser fuses represents error correction coding data corresponding to the unique identifier.

47. The system of claim 46, wherein the plurality of laser fuses includes no more than 512 laser fuses.

48. The system of claim 47, wherein the plurality of laser fuses includes no more than 384 laser fuses.

49. The system of claim 48, wherein the first set of laser fuses comprises up to 64 laser fuses.

50. The system of claim 49, wherein the second set of laser fuses comprises up to 64 laser fuses.

51. The system of claim 46, wherein the unique identifier includes a digital rights management identification.

52. The system of claim 46, wherein the unique identifier includes manufacturing information.

53. The system of claim 52, wherein the manufacturing information includes at least one of the following:

a lot code, a wafer number, and a die position.