ELECTRONIC TAMPER DETECTION

• US 20150143551A1
• Filed: 11/21/2013
• Published: 05/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Tiemeijer, Lukas Frederik
• Granted Patent: US 9,342,710 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/70 Protecting specific internal or peripheral components, in which the protection of a component leads to protection of the entire computer
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07309 Means for preventing undesired reading or writing from or onto record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07372 by detecting tampering with the circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05554 being square
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48247 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49175 Parallel arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/576 using active circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/645 Inductive arrangements H01L23/647, H01L23/66 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00012 Relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• 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 2924/181 Encapsulation

Abstract

An apparatus, method and package for electronic tamper detection. In one example, an apparatus, device or package for electronic tamper detection includes: a first inductor positioned at a first distance from a first conductive surface; a first oscillator generating a first frequency in dependence upon the first inductor; and a comparator setting a tamper detected status if the generated first frequency is not within an error tolerance to a pre-stored first frequency. One example of a method for fabricating an electronic tamper detection apparatus, device, or package is also provided.

Claims

1. An apparatus for electronic tamper detection, comprising:

a first inductor positioned at a first distance from a first conductive surface;

a first oscillator generating a first frequency in dependence upon the first inductor; and

a comparator setting a tamper detected status if the generated first frequency is not within an error tolerance to a pre-stored first frequency.

2. The apparatus of claim 1:

further comprising a temperature sensor measuring a temperature; and

the comparator setting the tamper detected status if the generated first frequency is not within the error tolerance to a pre-stored first frequency which is dependent upon the measured temperature.

3. The apparatus of claim 1:

further comprising,

a second inductor positioned at a second distance from a second conductive surface;

a second oscillator generating a second frequency in dependence upon the second inductor; and

the comparator calculates a measured relation between the first frequency and the second frequency, and sets a tamper detected status if the measured relation is not within the error tolerance to a pre-stored relation.

4. The apparatus of claim 3:

wherein the relation is at least one from a group consisting of;

a mathematical relation, a difference, a ratio, a code, and a security key.

5. The apparatus of claim 3:

wherein a difference between the first frequency and the second frequency is greater than a mutual injection locking range.

6. The apparatus of claim 3:

wherein a difference between the first frequency and the second frequency is greater than a first mutual injection locking range when the apparatus is in an un-tampered state; and

wherein the difference between the first frequency and the second frequency is less than a second mutual injection locking range when the apparatus is in a tampered state.

7. The apparatus of claim 1:

wherein the first inductor positioned at a third distance from a third conductive surface;

wherein the second inductor positioned at a fourth distance from a fourth conductive surface.

8. The apparatus of claim 7:

wherein the first and second conductive surfaces are portions of a first single contiguous conductive surface; and

wherein the third and fourth conductive surfaces are portions of a second single contiguous conductive surface.

9. The apparatus of claim 8:

wherein the first and second single contiguous conductive surfaces are metal foils.

10. The apparatus of claim 1:

wherein the tamper detected status results in at least one from a group consisting of;

transmission of a message blocking operation of a device, an application or a system; and

erasure of pre-stored information in the apparatus.

11. A method for fabricating an electronic tamper detection device, comprising:

positioning a first inductor at a first distance from a first conductive surface;

positioning a second inductor at a second distance from a second conductive surface;

coupling a first oscillator to the first inductor, for generating a first frequency in dependence upon the first inductor;

coupling a second oscillator to the second inductor, for generating a second frequency in dependence upon the second inductor; and

coupling a comparator, having a memory, to the first and second oscillators, for calculating a measured relation between the first frequency and the second frequency, and setting a tamper detected status if the measured relation is not within an error tolerance to a relation pre-stored in the memory.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

forming the first and second conductive surfaces as portions of a first single contiguous conductive surface.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

positioning the first inductor at a third distance from a third conductive surface;

positioning the second inductor at a fourth distance from a fourth conductive surface; and

forming the third and fourth conductive surfaces as portions of a second single contiguous conductive surface.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

positioning the first single contiguous conductive surface on one side of the first and second inductors; and

positioning the second single contiguous conductive surface on an opposite side of the first and second inductors, such that the first and second inductors are between the first and second contiguous conductive surfaces.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

instantiating a dielectric resin between the inductors and the contiguous conductive surfaces.

16. An electronic tamper detection package, comprising:

a circuit, coupled to the package, having a first inductor, a first oscillator, a second inductor, a second oscillator and a comparator;

a first conductive surface positioned at a first average distance from the first inductor and the second inductor;

wherein the first oscillator is coupled to the first inductor and generates a first frequency in dependence upon the first inductor and the first conductive surface;

wherein the second oscillator is coupled to the second inductor and generates a second frequency in dependence upon the second inductor and the first conductive surface; and

wherein the comparator is coupled to the first and second oscillators and sets a tamper detected status if the generated first frequency is not within a pre-stored relation to the generated second frequency.

17. The apparatus of claim 16:

further comprising a dielectric having a variable thickness coupled between the inductors and the first conductive surface;

wherein the first frequency differs from the second frequency in dependence upon the variable thickness of the dielectric.