Electronic fingerprinting of semiconductor integrated circuits
First Claim
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1. A method for identifying an integrated circuit device including memory cells therewith, comprising:
- (a) applying power to the memory cells;
(b) determining the initial state of the memory cells;
(c) repeating the steps (a) and (b) until a plurality of the memory cells are determined to exhibit an initial state that is relatively consistent each time the step (a) is executed; and
(d) associating the initial state of the plurality of memory cells with the integrated circuit device.
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Abstract
A method of identifying an integrated circuit device based on the initial state of certain memory cells within a memory array of the integrated circuit device. For many cells in the memory array the initial state is relatively consistent at each power-up, due to mismatches between the transistors that form each memory cell. Thus these consistent initial states provide a signature of the memory array and the integrated circuit device.
29 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A method for identifying an integrated circuit device including memory cells therewith, comprising:
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(a) applying power to the memory cells;
(b) determining the initial state of the memory cells;
(c) repeating the steps (a) and (b) until a plurality of the memory cells are determined to exhibit an initial state that is relatively consistent each time the step (a) is executed; and
(d) associating the initial state of the plurality of memory cells with the integrated circuit device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for manufacturing semiconductor devices, comprising:
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(a) providing a semiconductor substrate;
(b) performing semiconductor fabrication processes on the semiconductor substrate to form semiconductor devices thereon, wherein the semiconductor substrate comprises a plurality of semiconductor die, and wherein each die comprises a plurality of semiconductor devices, and wherein certain of the die include memory cells;
(c) applying power to the memory cells of each die comprising memory cells;
(d) determining the initial state of the memory cells;
(e) repeating the steps (c) and (d) until a plurality of the memory cells on a die are determined to exhibit an initial state that is relatively consistent each time the step (c) is executed;
(f) associating the initial state of the plurality of memory cells with the die on which the memory cells are located;
(g) singulating the semiconductor substrate into individual die; and
(h) maintaining the association after the die are singulated. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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Specification