Locking of an integrated circuit

• US 8,745,107 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2005
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics SA (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics SA (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Wuidart, Luc, Marinet, Fabrice
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Chuong D
• Assistant Examiner(s): SANDIFER, MATTHEW D
• Application Number:
  US11/663,571
• Publication Number:
  US 20080243973A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,171 Days
• Field of Search: 326/8, 380277-286, 380 44- 47, 713189-194, 726 2- 6, 726 17- 21, 726 26- 30, 708/135, 708491-492
• US Class Current: 708/135
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/073 Special arrangements for circuits, e.g. for protecting identification code in memory protection against unauthorised use of computer memory G06F12/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07363 by preventing analysis of the circuit, e.g. dynamic or static power analysis or current analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07372 by detecting tampering with the circuit
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07716 the record carrier comprising means for customization, e.g. being arranged for personalization in batch
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3558 Preliminary personalisation for transfer to user
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0203 Particular design considerations for integrated circuits

Abstract

A method for protecting an integrated circuit. According to the method, the start-up of all, or part, of the circuit is determined in the presence of a key which is recorded in a non-volatile manner in the circuit, following the production thereof, and depends on at least one first parameter which is present in a non-volatile manner in the circuit after the production thereof.

Claims

1. A method for protecting an integrated circuit, the method comprising:

using the integrated circuit to receive a key generated outside of said integrated circuit,

recording the key in non-volatile fashion in the circuit subsequent to manufacturing the integrated circuit,

using the integrated circuit to perform a calculation having as operands at least the key and a parameter intrinsically present in the integrated circuit in non-volatile fashion at the end of the manufacturing, the calculation producing a result having a value dependent on values of the key and the parameter, the calculation being invertible to produce the value of the key using the values of the result and the parameter;

using the integrated circuit to determine whether the value of the result matches a stored value; and

when the integrated circuit determines that the value of the result matches the stored value, activating at least a part of the integrated circuit.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the recording of the key in non-volatile fashion in the integrated circuit is performed in response to determining that the value of the result matches the stored value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said parameter is formed of an identification number of the integrated circuit.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the calculation comprises performing a function, and wherein the method further comprises using the value of the parameter and the stored value to generate the value of the key outside the integrated circuit, based on the function.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the parameter is a first parameter, and

using the integrated circuit to perform the calculation having as operands at least the key and the parameter comprises using the integrated circuit to perform the calculation having as operands at least the key, the parameter, and a second parameter present in non-volatile fashion in the circuit at the end of the manufacturing.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said second parameter depends on a position of a chip containing the integrated circuit in a wafer supporting two or more chips.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said parameter differs from one integrated circuit to another or from one group of integrated circuits to another.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a value of the key depends on the stored value.

9. A method for personalizing an integrated circuit, the integrated circuit comprising a parameter present in non-volatile fashion in the integrated circuit at the end of manufacturing the integrated circuit and an element for calculating a function and for checking a result of the function with respect to a stored value, the method comprising:

using at least the parameter to calculate, outside the integrated circuit and based on the function, a key;

transferring the key to the integrated circuit;

using the element of the integrated circuit to calculate the function to obtain the result, the function having as operands at least the key and the parameter, the function being invertible to obtain the key using the parameter and the result;

using the integrated circuit to determine whether a value of the result matches the stored value; and

when the integrated circuit determines that the value of the result matches the stored value, recording the key in the integrated circuit in non-volatile fashion,

wherein the parameter is intrinsically present in the integrated circuit.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein using at least the parameter to calculate the key, based on the function, comprises using at least the parameter and the stored value to calculate the key, based on the function.

11. A method for manufacturing integrated circuit chips, the integrated circuit chips including a first chip and a second chip, the method comprising:

using a set of masks to manufacture the integrated circuit chips such that a first parameter of the first chip differs from a second parameter of the second chip, the first and second parameters being intrinsically present in the first and second chips, respectively, in non-volatile fashion at an end of manufacturing the integrated circuit chips,

using the first chip to receive a first key, the first key being generated outside the first chip using at least the first parameter intrinsically present in the first chip,

using the first chip to perform a first calculation having as operands at least the first key and the first parameter, the first calculation producing a first result, the first calculation being invertible to obtain the first key using the first parameter and the first result,

using the first chip to determine whether a value of the first result matches a first stored value,

when the first chip determines that the value of the first result matches the first stored value, activating at least a part of the first chip,

using the second chip to receive a second key, the second key being generated outside the second chip using at least the second parameter intrinsically present in the second chip,

using the second chip to perform a second calculation having as operands at least the second key and the second parameter, the second calculation producing a second result, the second calculation being invertible to obtain the second key using the second parameter and the second result,

using the second chip to determine whether a value of the second result matches a second stored value,

when the second chip determines that the value of the second result matches the second stored value, activating at least a part of the second chip,

wherein the first key differs from the second key.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a value of the first key depends on the first stored value.

13. An integrated circuit comprising:

a first element configured to store a key in non-volatile fashion, the key having been generated outside the integrated circuit using at least one parameter intrinsically resent in the integrated circuit in non-volatile fashion at an end of manufacturing the integrated circuit;

a second element configured to store the at least one parameter or extract the at least one parameter from the integrated circuit; and

means for activating at least part of the integrated circuit by;

performing a calculation having as operands at least the key and the at least one parameter, the calculation producing a result having a value dependent on values of the key and the at least one parameter, the calculation being invertible to obtain the value of the key using the at least one parameter and the result,

determining whether the value of the result matches a stored value, and

when it is determined that the value of the result matches the stored value, activating at least part of the integrated circuit.

14. The integrated circuit of claim 13, wherein a value of the key depends on the stored value.

15. An integrated circuit comprising:

a first element configured to store a key, the key having been generated outside the integrated circuit and depending on at least one parameter intrinsically present in the integrated circuit in non-volatile fashion at an end of a manufacturing of the integrated circuit;

a second element configured to store the at least one parameter in the integrated circuit or extract the at least one parameter from the integrated circuit; and

a third element configured to activate at least part of the integrated circuit by;

performing a calculation having as operands at least the key and the at least one parameter, the calculation producing a result having a value dependent on values of the key and the at least one parameter, the calculation being invertible to obtain the value of the key using the at least one parameter and the result,

determining whether the value of the result matches a stored value, and

when it is determined that the value of the result matches the stored value, activating at least part of the integrated circuit.

16. The integrated circuit of claim 15, wherein a value of the key depends on the stored value.

17. A method for protecting a plurality of integrated circuits, comprising:

using a first integrated circuit of the plurality of integrated circuits to receive a key, the key depending on at least one parameter intrinsically resent in the integrated circuit;

using the first integrated circuit to calculate a function having as operands at least the key and the at least one parameter, the function producing a result having a value dependent on values of the key and the parameter, the function being invertible to obtain the value of the key using the at least one parameter and the result;

using the first integrated circuit to determine whether the value of the result matches a stored value; and

when the first integrated circuit determines that the value of the result matches the stored value, activating at least a part of the first integrated circuit,

wherein the at least one parameter of the first integrated circuit differs from a corresponding at least one parameter of a second integrated circuit of the plurality of integrated circuits.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein:

the key is generated outside the first integrated circuit, and

the key further depends on the function and on the stored value.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

when the first integrated circuit determines that the value of the result matches the stored value, storing the key in a non-volatile memory of the first integrated circuit.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein:

the at least one parameter intrinsically present in the first integrated circuit comprises an identifier and a function parameter, and

the identifier and/or the function parameter depends on a position that the integrated circuit occupied on a wafer during a manufacturing of the integrated circuit.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising selectively implanting a dopant to achieve dependence of the identifier and/or the function parameter on the position of the integrated circuit.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein a value of the key depends on the stored value.