Method for fabricating and manufacturing micro—and nano-fabricated devices and systems securely

• US 9,646,878 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2014
• Issued: 05/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corporation for National Research Initiatives
• Original Assignee: Corporation for National Research Initiatives
• Inventors: Huff, Michael A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Siek, Vuthe
• Application Number:
  US14/309,236
• Publication Number:
  US 20150371890A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,055 Days
• Field of Search: 716139
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 99/0055 Manufacturing logistics
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76838 characterised by the formation and the after-treatment of the conductors etching for patterning the conductors H01L21/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/823892 with a particular manufacturing method of the wells or tubs, e.g. twin tubs, high energy well implants, buried implanted layers for lateral isolation [BILLI]

Abstract

A method is disclosed for manufacturing integrated circuits, microelectronics, micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), nano-electro-mechanical systems (NEMS), photonic, and any micro- and nano-fabricated devices and systems designs that allow these designs to be kept secure. The manufacturing of the devices in the substrates is performed in a traditional manner at a foundry that can be located anywhere in the world., The manufacturing at this foundry is stopped just before the fabrication of the first layer of electrical interconnects. At this stage, the semiconductor substrates with the devices, minus electrical interconnects, are sent back to the design organization (or their designated trusted foundry) to perform the fabrication of the electrical interconnects to complete the entire manufacturing process. Since the electrical interconnection wiring diagram is the critical component of the design, this de-coupling of the manufacturing allows the designs of the devices and systems to be kept secure and confidential.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a device, a system or the device and the system using microfabrication or nanofabrication technologies, the method comprising:

having a first organization design the device and/or system to be manufactured, the design of the device and/or system to be manufactured including design layout artwork and fabrication steps for making the device and/or system;

dividing the fabrication steps for making the device and/or system to be manufactured into a first part in which the fabrication of the device and/or system is performed, minus the fabrication of electrical interconnections to complete the manufacturing of the device and/or system, and a second parts in which the fabrication of the electrical interconnections to complete the manufacturing of the device and/or system is performed;

sending the first part of the fabrication steps for making the device and/or system to be manufactured to a second organization which operates a first manufacturing foundry;

having the second organization perform the first part of the fabrication steps to thereby partially manufacture the device and/or system to be manufactured;

sending the second part of the fabrication steps for making the device and/or system to be manufactured and the partially manufactured device and/or system to a third organization which operates a second manufacturing foundry;

having the third organization perform on the partially manufactured device and/or system the second part of the fabrication steps for making the device and/or system to be manufactured to complete the manufacturing of the device and/or system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the device and/or system is/are one or more of the following technologies, including:

integrated circuits;

microelectronics;

micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS);

nano-electro-mechanical systems (NEMS);

photonics;

or any micro- and nano-fabricated devices and systems fabricated using micro- and nano-fabrication methods.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the design layout artwork for of the device and/or system to be manufactured is a design layout file that includes one or more designs of photolithography masks used in the manufacturing of the device and/or system to be manufactured.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second organization is a semiconductor foundry that performs the fabrication steps other than for fabricating the electrical interconnection layers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the third organization is a semiconductor foundry that performs the fabrication steps for fabricating the electrical interconnection layers.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first organization is a business and legal entity which is separate from the second organization.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first organization is a business and legal entity which is separate from the second and third organizations.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first organization is a business and legal entity, and wherein the third organization is a part of the first organization.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the devices manufactured by the second and third organizations are field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs).

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the devices manufactured by the second and third organizations are field-programmable analog arrays (FPAAs).

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the devices manufactured by the second and third organizations are application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs).

12. A method of manufacturing of a device, a system or the device and the system comprised of integrated circuits;

microelectronics;

micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS);

nano-electro-mechanical systems (NEMS);

photonics;

or any micro- and nano-fabricated device and/or system that is/are fabricated using micro- and nano-fabrication technologies, the method comprising;

having a first organization design the device and/or system to be manufactured, the design of the device and/or system to be manufactured including design layout artwork and fabrication steps for making the device and/or system;

dividing the fabrication steps for making the device and/or system to be manufactured into a first part in which the fabrication of the device and/or system is performed, minus the fabrication of electrical interconnections to complete the manufacturing of the device and/or system, and a second part in which the fabrication of the electrical interconnections to complete the manufacturing of the device and/or system is performed;

sending the first part of the fabrication steps for making the device and/or system to be manufactured to a second organization which operates a first manufacturing foundry;

having the second organization perform the first part of the fabrication steps to thereby partially manufacture the device and/or system to be manufactured;

sending the second part of the process sequence portion of the design of the device and/or system to be manufactured to a third organization which operates a second manufacturing foundry;

having the third organization manufacture the second part of the process sequence portion of the design of the device and/or system to be manufactured to complete the manufacturing method.

13. A method for the secure and confidential manufacturing of a device, a system or the device and the system comprised of integrated circuits;

microelectronics;

micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS);

nano-electro-mechanical systems (NEMS);

photonics;

or any micro- and nano-fabricated devices and systems that are fabricated using micro- and nano-fabrication technologies, the method comprising;

having a design organization design the device and/or system to be manufactured, the design of the device and/or system to be manufactured including design layout artwork and fabrication steps for making the device and/or system;

dividing the fabrication steps for making the device and/or system to be manufactured into a first part in which the fabrication of the device and/or system is performed, minus the fabrication of electrical interconnections to complete the manufacturing of the device and/or system, and a second part in which the fabrication of the electrical interconnections to complete the manufacturing of the device and/or system is performed;

sending the first part of the fabrication steps for making the device and/or system to be manufactured to an untrusted foundry organization;

having the untrusted foundry organization perform the first part of the fabrication steps so as to partially produce the device and/or system to be manufactured;

sending the partially produced device and/or system to be manufactured and the second part of the fabrication steps for making the device and/or system to be manufactured to a trusted foundry organization;

having the trusted foundry organization complete the partially produced device and/or system to be manufactured by performing the second part of the fabrication steps for making the device and/or system to be manufactured to securely and confidentially complete the manufacturing method.

14. A method for the secure and confidential manufacturing of a device, a system or the device and the system comprised of integrated circuits;

microelectronics;

micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS);

nano-electro-mechanical systems (NEMS);

photonics;

or any micro- and nano-fabricated devices and systems that are fabricated using micro- and nano-fabrication technologies, the method comprising;

having a design organization design the device and/or system to be manufactured, the design of the device and/or system to be manufactured including design layout artwork and fabrication steps for making the device and/or system;

dividing the fabrication steps for making the device and/or system to be manufactured into a plurality of parts including the fabrication of the device and/or system is performed, minus the fabrication of electrical interconnections to complete the manufacturing of the device and/or system, and the separate fabrication of the electrical interconnections to complete the manufacturing of the device and/or system is performed;

sending one or more parts of the fabrication steps for making the device and/or system to be manufactured to one or more untrusted foundry organizations;

having the one or more untrusted foundry organizations perform the one or more parts of the fabrication steps, minus the fabrication of electrical interconnections to complete the manufacturing of the device and/or system, so as to partially produce the device and/or system to be manufactured;

sending the partially produced device and/or system to be manufactured and a final part of the fabrication steps for making the device and/or system to be manufactured to a trusted foundry organization;

having the trusted foundry organization complete the partially produced device and/or system to be manufactured by performing the final part of the fabrication steps for fabricating the electrical interconnections to complete the making of the device and/or system to be manufactured to thereby securely and confidentially complete the manufacturing of the device and/or system.

15. A method of manufacturing of a device, a system or the device and the system using micro- and nano-fabrication technologies, the method comprising:

having a design organization design the device and/or system to be manufactured, the design of the device and/or system to be manufactured including design layout artwork and fabrication steps for making the device and/or system;

dividing the fabrication steps for making the device and/or system to be manufactured into a plurality of parts including the fabrication of the device and/or system is performed, minus the fabrication of electrical interconnections to complete the manufacturing of the device and/or system, and the separate fabrication of the electrical interconnections to complete the manufacturing of the device and/or system is performed;

sending one or more parts of the fabrication steps for making the device and/or system to be manufactured to one or more first kind of foundry organizations;

having the one or more first kind of foundry organizations perform the one or more parts of the fabrication steps for making the devices or systems, minus the fabrication of electrical interconnections to complete the manufacturing of the device and/or system, so as to partially produce the device and/or system to be manufactured;

sending the partially produced device and/or system to be manufactured and one or more additional parts of the fabrication steps for making the device and/or system to be manufactured to one or more second kind of foundry organizations;

having one or more second kind of foundry organizations complete the partially produced device and/or system to be manufactured by performing the one or more additional parts of the fabrication steps for fabricating the electrical interconnections to complete the making of the device and/or system to be manufactured to thereby complete the manufacturing of the device and/or system.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more first kind of foundry organizations are untrusted foundry organizations, and wherein the one or more second kind of foundry organizations are trusted foundry organizations.