System and method for providing an integrated circuit with a unique identification

Abstract

An integrated circuit identification device (ICID) to be incorporated into an integrated circuit (IC) includes an array of electronic cells in which the magnitude of an output signal of each cell is a function of randomly occurring parametric variations which vary from cell-to-cell. The ICID also includes a circuit for measuring the output of each cell and for producing output data having a value reflecting the particular combination of measured characteristics of all of the elements of the array. When we make the number of elements in the array large enough, we insure that to a high degree of probability, the pattern of measured array cell characteristics for an ICID embedded in any one IC will be unique and distinguishable from such patterns measured by ICIDs embedded in millions of other ICs. Thus the value of the output data produced by an ICID circuit acts as a unique “fingerprint” for the IC in which it is installed, and can be used as a unique identification (ID) for that IC.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention relates in general to a system for uniquely identifying an integrated circuit (IC), and in particular to a device that may be embedded in the IC which, due to randomly occurring chip-to-chip or device-to-device parametric variations, produces a unique output identification for each IC chip in which it is implemented.[0003]2. Description of Related Art[0004]Integrated circuits are manufactured with batch processing intended to make all integrated circuit chips identical, thereby lowering manufacturing costs and improving quality. However, it is useful to be able to distinguish each individual integrated circuit from all others, for example to track its source of manufacture, or to identify a system employing the integrated circuit. Individually identifiable integrated circuits can be used to validate transactions, route messages, track items through customs, verify royalty counts, recover stolen goo...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The invention is a circuit that creates a unique identification number for each chip that includes the circuit. This circuit is made using identical masks and can be found in millions of chips. The circuit uses a set of cells that produce an output based on variations in the cells that occur naturally during chip fabrication. By measuring the output of each cell in the chip and organizing them into an array, the circuit can create a unique ID for each chip. This ID is a reliable and cost-effective way to identify each chip without needing to customize it. The circuit uses pairs of MOSFET transistors that have interconnected sources and gates, and the measurable output of each pair represents the difference between their drain currents, which is susceptible to fluctuations during chip fabrication."

Problems solved by technology

These methods of identification are useful for indicating the type of component being manufactured or placed in an assembly, but they do not distinguish individual chip one from another.

While such approaches are effective to provide each chip with an ID, the additional processing steps needed to customize each individual chip add time and cost to the chip manufacturing process.

While such methods can provide each chip with a unique identification, they require special processing steps during the semiconductor manufacturing process that add cost and time to the manufacturing process.

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