Integrated Circuit That Uses A Dynamic Characteristic Of The Circuit
First Claim
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1. A method for operating an integrated circuit comprising:
- operating a first component of the integrated circuit having a dynamic characteristic that varies among like integrated circuits, including producing an output of the first component dependent on the dynamic characteristic of the first component;
generating a digital value associated with the integrated circuit using the output of the first component; and
using the generated digital value in operation of the integrated circuit.
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Abstract
An integrated circuit has a first component that has a dynamic characteristic that varies among like integrated circuits, for example, among integrated circuits fabricated using the same lithography mask. Operating the first component produces an output that is dependent on the dynamic characteristic of the first component. A digital value associated with the integrated circuit is generated using the output of the first component, and then the generated digital value is used in operation of the integrated circuit.
106 Citations
47 Claims
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1. A method for operating an integrated circuit comprising:
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operating a first component of the integrated circuit having a dynamic characteristic that varies among like integrated circuits, including producing an output of the first component dependent on the dynamic characteristic of the first component; generating a digital value associated with the integrated circuit using the output of the first component; and using the generated digital value in operation of the integrated circuit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 21, 22)
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11. An integrated circuit comprising:
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a first component comprising circuitry that has a dynamic characteristic that varies among like integrated circuits, and having an output that is dependent on the dynamic characteristic of the first component; a second component that accepts the output of the first component and produces a digital value associated with the integrated circuit; and a functional component that operates according to the digital value produced by the second component. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method for producing a plurality of integrated circuits comprising:
fabricating each of the plurality of integrated circuits according to a common design, including forming a first component comprising circuitry that has a dynamic characteristic that varies among the plurality of integrated circuits, and having an output that is dependent on the dynamic characteristic of the first component, a second component that accepts the output of the first component and produces a digital value associated with the integrated circuit, and a functional component that operates according to the digital value produced by the second component.
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23. An apparatus comprising:
a device selected from a group of devices fabricated based on a common design, each device in the group having a corresponding plurality of measurable characteristics that is unique in the group to that device, the device including a measuring component that measures a selected characteristic. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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25. Circuitry for implementing a device-specific function comprising:
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a plurality of circuit components, at least some of the circuit components having characteristics that vary among instances of fabrication of the circuitry; selection circuitry for selecting one or more of the circuit components according to an input to the circuitry to form at least two signal paths through the circuit components; and measurement circuitry responsive to variation in a dynamic characteristic among the at least two signal paths. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. Circuitry for implementing a device-specific function comprising:
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a plurality of circuit components, at least some of the circuit components having characteristics that vary among instances of fabrication of the circuitry; selection circuitry for selecting one or more of the circuit components according to an input to the circuitry to form one or more signal paths through the circuit components; and measurement circuitry responsive to a delay characteristic of the formed one or more signal path. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. An apparatus comprising:
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a device selected from a group of devices fabricated based on a common design, each device in the group having a corresponding plurality of measurable delay characteristics that is unique in the group to that device; wherein the device includes a port for accepting selection information and a measuring component for measurement one or more characteristics selected from amongst the plurality of measurable characteristics according to the accepted selection information. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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Specification