Charged Particle Beam IC Personalization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for securing integrated circuits (ICs) rely on software-based solutions that are vulnerable to cyber threats, and hardware-embedded security approaches like optical lithography are not conducive to per-IC customization, leading to insecure and non-volatile data storage.
Innovation Solution
The use of charged particle beams to write unique, customizable, and secure non-volatile data directly into the interconnects of ICs during fabrication, enabling secure personalization of each IC with commercially viable throughput and reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If optical lithography is used for IC fabrication, then volume production efficiency is improved, but per-IC customization capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the IC fabrication process into two distinct stages: (1) optical lithography for creating the common circuit pattern across all chips, and (2) charged particle beam writing for adding unique personalized data to each individual IC. This segmentation allows the bulk production benefits of optical lithography to be combined with the customization capabilities of sequential charged particle beam writing, resolving the contradiction between volume production efficiency and per-IC adaptability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies preliminary action by first establishing the common circuit pattern through optical lithography before performing the personalized data writing with charged particle beams. The personalized data is written after fabrication in a post-processing step, allowing each IC to be customized individually while maintaining the efficiency of batch fabrication for the common circuit structure
2Adaptability or versatility
If software-based security solutions are used, then implementation flexibility is improved, but security reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces software-based security mechanisms with hardware-embedded security features. Unique identification data and cryptographic keys are physically written into non-volatile memory or fused directly into the IC circuitry using charged particle beams during or after fabrication. This hardware embedding makes the security features immutable and resistant to software attacks, thereby improving security reliability while maintaining implementation flexibility through the ability to customize each IC
Solution Approach 2:
The security data is written into the IC during or immediately after fabrication in a controlled factory environment, before the IC leaves the manufacturer's facility. This preliminary action ensures that the security features are embedded at the earliest possible moment, preventing any subsequent modification or compromise, and establishes a trusted root of trust for the device
3Reliability
IfFuse-programmable integrated circuits are used for IC personalization, then security is improved, but data accessibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by implementing different accessibility characteristics for different portions of the IC. The common circuit pattern remains fully accessible and modifiable through standard fabrication processes, while the personalized security data is written with restricted accessibility. The charged particle beam writing process creates localized modifications in non-volatile memory or interconnect structures that are physically difficult to read or modify, thereby providing selective accessibility: high accessibility for functional circuits, low accessibility for security data
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach provides secure, reliable, and truly non-volatile data storage that is inaccessible to unauthorized parties, enhancing hardware security and reducing vulnerabilities, with data retention lasting the lifetime of the IC and minimal design impact.
Implementation Method 1
writing multiple cut features to multiple dies on a substrate using one or more charged particle beams
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems and devices for using charged particle beams (CPBs) to write different die-specific, non-volatile, electronically readable data to different dies on a substrate. CPBs can fully write die-specific data within the chip interconnect structure during the device fabrication process, at high resolution and within a small area, allowing one or multiple usefully-sized values to be securely written to service device functions. CPBs can write die-specific data in areas readable or unreadable through a (or any) communications bus. Die-specific data can be used for, e.g.: encryption keys; communications addresses; manufacturing information (including die identification numbers); random number generator improvements; or single, nested, or compartmentalized security codes. Die-specific data and locations for writing die-specific data can be kept in encrypted form when not being written to the substrate to conditionally or permanently prevent any knowledge of said data and locations.