Hardware-embedded key based on random variations of a stress-hardened inegrated circuit
First Claim
1. A method, comprising:
- repeatedly activating a first integrated circuit (IC) cell of an IC device, wherein the first IC cell is designed to resolve from an unstable output state to any one of multiple output states with equal probability, and wherein the activating includes,pre-charging the first IC cell to the unstable output state, andenabling the first IC cell to resolve from the unstable output state to one of the multiple output states based on random variations within the IC device; and
determining a measure of stability for the first IC cell based on the post-activation output states of the first IC cell.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An IC cell designed to assert one of multiple possible output states, each with equal probability, implemented to assert a pre-determined one of the multiple output states based on random variations within the IC cell, such as random process variations. An array of IC cells is configurable to provide a hardware-embedded key upon power-up that is unique to the combination of random variations of selected IC cells, resistant to tampering prior to and during manufacture, and tolerant to aging, instantaneous thermal noise, and environmental variations, such as voltage and temperature fluctuations. The key may be used as, without limitation, a Platform Root Key, a High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP) key, an Enhanced Privacy Identification (EPID) key, and/or an Advanced Access Content System (AACS) key. Also disclosed are techniques to measure stability and stress-harden an IC cell based on output states of the IC cell.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method, comprising:
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repeatedly activating a first integrated circuit (IC) cell of an IC device, wherein the first IC cell is designed to resolve from an unstable output state to any one of multiple output states with equal probability, and wherein the activating includes, pre-charging the first IC cell to the unstable output state, and enabling the first IC cell to resolve from the unstable output state to one of the multiple output states based on random variations within the IC device; and determining a measure of stability for the first IC cell based on the post-activation output states of the first IC cell. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An integrated circuit (IC) device, comprising:
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an array of IC cells, each designed to resolve from an unstable output state to one of multiple post-activation output states with equal probability upon activation; and control circuitry to activate the IC cells, including to pre-charge the IC cells to the unstable output state, and to enable each of the IC cells to resolve from the unstable output state to a pre-determined one of the multiple post-activation stable output states, wherein the pre-determined post-activation output states of the IC cells are determined by random variations within the IC device; wherein the IC device is configured to provide the pre-determined post-activation output states of the IC cells as a key. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10)
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11. A system, comprising:
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an evaluation module to determine a measure of stability for a first IC cell of an IC device based on post-activation output states of the first IC cell; wherein the IC device includes first control circuitry to activate the first IC cell, including to pre-charge the first IC cell to an unstable output state, and to enable the first IC cell to resolve from the unstable output state to a pre-determined one of multiple stable output states; and wherein the first IC cell is designed to resolve from the unstable output state to any of the multiple stable output states with equal probability upon activation, and wherein the pre-determined output state is determined by random variations within the IC device. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program, including evaluation instructions to cause a processor to:
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determine a measure of stability for a first IC cell of an IC device based on post-activation output states of the first IC cell; wherein the IC device includes first control circuitry to activate the first IC cell, including to pre-charge the first IC cell to an unstable output state, and to enable the first IC cell to resolve from the unstable output state to a pre-determined one of multiple stable output states; and wherein the first IC cell is designed to resolve from the unstable output state to any of the multiple stable output states with equal probability upon activation, and wherein the pre-determined output state is determined by random variations within the IC device. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A system, comprising:
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an integrated circuit (IC) device, including, an array of IC cells, each designed to resolve from an unstable output state to any one of multiple stable output states with equal probability upon activation, and control circuitry to activate the IC cells, including pre-charge circuitry to pre-charge each of the IC cells to the unstable output state and enable circuitry to enable each of the IC cells to resolve from the unstable output state to a corresponding pre-determined one of the multiple stable output states, wherein the pre-determined output states are determined by random variations within the IC device, and wherein the IC device is configured to provide the pre-determined output states of a sub-set of the IC cells as a key upon activation of the selected sub-set of IC cells; and a processor and memory to receive the key from the IC device. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27)
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Specification