FLYING WIREBONDS FOR CREATING A SECURE CAGE FOR INTEGRATED CIRCUITS AND PATHWAYS

• US 20140283148A1
• Filed: 03/17/2014
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cirque Corporation
• Original Assignee: Cirque Corporation
• Inventors: Bytheway, Jared G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,507,968 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/87 by means of encapsulation, e.g. for integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48227 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19107 off-chip wires

Abstract

A system and method for disposing one or a plurality of flying sense electrode segments so as to physically cover integrated circuits, circuit pathways and other components on at least one circuit board to physically secure the circuits, pathways and components from probes or data interception.

Claims

1. A method for determining if data is being intercepted from a protected component, said method comprising:

1) providing a substrate upon which are disposed at least one protected component having data, a plurality of flying sense electrode segments that create a secure cage around the at least one protected component, and a capacitive touch controller capable of detecting changes in capacitance on the plurality of flying sense electrode segments;

2) making baseline measurements of the flying sense electrode segments;

3) recording the baseline measurements;

4) making subsequent integrity measurements;

5) comparing the baseline measurements and the subsequent integrity measurements to determine if there are changes in capacitance on the plurality of flying sense electrode segments; and

6) performing an action if there are changes in capacitance that indicate that data is being intercepted from the at least one protected component.

2. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the method further comprises selecting the at least one protected component from the group of protected components comprised of integrated circuits and communication pathways.

3. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the method further comprises disposing a security material around the plurality of flying sense electrode segments and the at least one protected component.

4. The method as defined in claim 3 wherein the method further comprises detecting changes that are selected from the group of changes comprised of movement of any of the at least one protected component, movement of any of the plurality of flying sense electrode segments, creation of a new connection to any of the at least one protected component or to any of the plurality of flying sense electrode segments, removal of any of the security material around and of the plurality of flying sense electrode segments or the at least one protected component, etching, chipping, adding conductive inks, or changes to the substrate.

5. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the method further comprises selecting the action to be taken if there are changes in capacitance that indicate that data is being intercepted from the at least one protected component is selected from the group of actions comprised of disabling operation of the at least one protected component, transmitting a signal to another integrated circuit or to another device so that some other device may take action, or erasing data stored in the at least one protected component.

6. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the method further comprises making the subsequent integrity measurements at periodic intervals to thereby periodically check for changes in capacitance on the plurality of flying sense electrode segments.

7. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the method further comprises disposing the plurality of flying sense electrode segments in a daisy chain of interconnected segments of flying sense electrodes.

8. The method as defined in claim 1 wherein the method further comprises disposing the plurality of flying sense electrode segments in a pattern wherein some of the plurality of flying sense electrode segments overlap each other.

9. A system for determining if a probe is in proximity of or in direct contact with a secure integrated circuit or secure communication pathways, said system comprised of:

at least one protected component having data;

a plurality of flying sense electrode segments that are disposed around the at least one protected component to create a secure cage; and

a capacitive touch controller capable of detecting a change in capacitance on the plurality of flying sense electrode segments, and for transmitting a signal indicating the change in capacitance.

10. The system as defined in claim 9 wherein the system is further comprised of selecting the at least one protected component from the group of protected components comprised of integrated circuits and communication pathways.

11. The system as defined in claim 9 wherein the system is further comprised of a security material disposed around the plurality of flying sense electrode segments and the at least one protected component.

12. The system as defined in claim 9 wherein the system is further comprised of disposing the plurality of flying sense electrode segments in a daisy chain of interconnected segments of flying sense electrodes.

13. The system as defined in claim 9 wherein the system is further comprised of disposing the plurality of flying sense electrode segments in a pattern wherein some of the plurality of flying sense electrode segments overlap each other.

14. A method for protecting data in at least one protected component from being intercepted when being transmitted from the at least one protected component, said method comprising:

1) providing a first substrate upon which are disposed at least one protected component having data, and a plurality of flying sense electrode segments that create a secure cage around the at least one protected component;

2) providing a capacitive touch controller on a second substrate and which is coupled to the plurality of flying sense electrode segments and being capable of detecting changes in capacitance on the plurality of flying sense electrode segments;

3) making baseline measurements of the flying sense electrode segments;

4) recording the baseline measurements;

5) making subsequent integrity measurements;

6) comparing the baseline measurements and the subsequent integrity measurements to determine if there are changes in capacitance on the plurality of flying sense electrode segments; and

7) performing an action if there are changes in capacitance that indicate that data is being intercepted from the at least one protected component.

15. The method as defined in claim 14 wherein the method further comprises selecting the at least one protected component from the group of protected components comprised of integrated circuits, communication pathways, and the capacitive touch controller.

16. The method as defined in claim 14 wherein the method further comprises disposing a security material around the plurality of flying sense electrode segments and the at least one protected component.

17. The method as defined in claim 16 wherein the method further comprises detecting changes that are selected from the group of changes comprised of movement of any of the at least one protected component, movement of any of the plurality of flying sense electrode segments, movement of the capacitive touch controller, creation of a new connection to any of the at least one protected component, to any of the plurality of flying sense electrode segments or to the capacitive touch controller, removal of any of the security material around the plurality of flying sense electrode segments or the at least one protected component, etching, chipping, adding conductive inks, or changes to the first substrate or to the second substrate.

18. The method as defined in claim 14 wherein the method further comprises selecting the action to be taken if there are changes in capacitance that indicate that data is being intercepted from the at least one protected component, the flying sense electrode segments or the capacitive touch controller is selected from the group of actions comprised of disabling operation of the at least one protected component, transmitting a signal to another integrated circuit or to another device so that some other device may take action, or erasing data stored in the at least one protected component.

19. The method as defined in claim 14 wherein the method further comprises making the subsequent integrity measurements at periodic intervals to thereby periodically check for changes in capacitance on the plurality of flying sense electrode segments.

20. The method as defined in claim 14 wherein the method further comprises disposing the plurality of flying sense electrode segments in a daisy chain of interconnected segments of flying sense electrodes.