Diamond NV Center EM Emission Detection for IC Security
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for detecting hardware Trojans and side-channel attacks in integrated circuits lack the necessary spatial and temporal resolution, making it difficult to reliably monitor dynamic activities and ensure hardware security, especially in real-time and non-invasive settings.
Innovation Solution
The use of diamond slides with nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers to detect dynamic electromagnetic emissions from integrated circuits, providing ultrahigh spatial resolution and real-time analysis by converting local electromagnetic fields into optical readouts, allowing for the determination of clock frequencies and data bandwidth, and comparison to expected values to identify potential foreign devices or software.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If electromagnetic emission analysis is used to detect IC chip activity, then real-time non-invasive detection is achieved, but spatial resolution remains low and cannot distinguish individual functional units
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a diamond substrate with NV centers as an intermediary between the IC chip and the detection system. The NV centers convert electromagnetic fields into optical signals that can be imaged with high spatial resolution, acting as a mediator that translates invisible EM emissions into visible fluorescence patterns that reveal individual transistor and gate-level activity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional electromagnetic antenna-based detection with an optical imaging system. By using light to excite and read out NV centers in the diamond substrate, the system achieves megapixel-scale spatial resolution that far exceeds the capabilities of conventional EM emission analysis, enabling visualization of individual functional units on the chip.
2Measurement precision
If thermal imaging is used to observe chip activity, then insights into active parts are obtained, but temporal resolution is poor due to heating time requirements and heat spreading blurs the image
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes thermal imaging with optical imaging of NV center fluorescence. This replacement eliminates the thermal diffusion problem entirely, as the NV centers respond to electromagnetic fields at the speed of light rather than heat conduction. The result is real-time temporal resolution with sharp spatial boundaries that accurately reflect instantaneous chip activity without blurring.
3Measurement precision
If discrete antennas are used for EM emission detection, then detection capability is provided, but spatial resolution is limited and bulk signature only is observable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the detection function across the entire surface of the diamond substrate, which contacts or approaches the whole IC chip. Rather than using discrete antennas at separate locations, the NV center array provides continuous, dense spatial sampling across the entire chip surface, enabling simultaneous observation of all functional units with megapixel resolution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from point-based or line-based antenna detection to a two-dimensional array of NV centers that provides areal coverage. This dimensional expansion allows the system to resolve and distinguish individual functional units across the chip surface, transforming bulk signature detection into detailed spatial mapping of electromagnetic emissions.
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 enables non-destructive, real-time detection of hardware security risks with megapixel imaging resolution and sub-megahertz electromagnetic frequency spectrometry, effectively distinguishing between normal and malicious activity within IC chips, enhancing hardware and software security.
Implementation Method 1
exciting the NV centers resulting in an NV fluorescence
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for detecting dynamic electromagnetic emission of an integrated circuit (IC) chip is provided. One embodiment of the method, includes exciting nitro vacancy (NV) centers of a diamond slide located in close proximity to the IC chip via use of light, resulting in an NV fluorescence; providing an optical readout of the NV fluorescence, wherein the optical readout provides quantum states of the NV centers, thereby providing a spectra of electromagnetic fields of the IC chip. A determination is then made of at least one of the group comprising clock frequencies of the IC chip, referred to herein as determined clock frequencies, and data bandwidth of the IC chip, referred to herein as determined data bandwidth of the IC chip, from the spectra of electromagnetic fields of the IC chip. A comparison is then performed, comparing at least one of the group comprising determined clock frequencies and determined data bandwidth, to at least one of the group comprising expected clock frequencies of the IC chip and expected data bandwidth of the IC chip, thereby determining if a foreign device or software is located on the IC chip.