Electronic tamper detection

• US 9,342,710 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2013
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Shepperd, Eric W
• Application Number:
  US14/086,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20150143551A1
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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;

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

a comparator that calculates a measured relation between the first frequency and the second frequency and sets a tamper detected status when the measured relation is not within an error tolerance to a pre-stored relation;

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

2. The apparatus of claim 1:

further comprising a temperature sensor measuring a temperature; and

the comparator setting the tamper detected status when 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:

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.

4. The apparatus of claim 1:

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.

5. The apparatus of claim 1:

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

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

6. The apparatus of claim 5:

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.

7. The apparatus of claim 6:

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

8. 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.