Two-Stage License Authentication for Semiconductor Manufacturing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing license authentication systems for semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses lack robustness in preventing unauthorized use, as they rely solely on address information matching and do not effectively restrict function access when authentication fails.
Innovation Solution
A two-stage authentication system is implemented, involving hardware authentication to verify the association between the auxiliary storage device and the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and license authentication to ensure the correctness of the input license key, using device-unique information to generate device identification codes and license keys, thereby restricting unauthorized function use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If address information matching is used for license authentication, then the system is simple to operate, but the reliability of preventing unauthorized use is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication system is segmented into two distinct stages: hardware authentication (first authentication) that verifies the association between auxiliary storage device and semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and license authentication (second authentication) that verifies the license key correctness. This segmentation allows each stage to focus on a specific verification task, improving overall reliability while maintaining operational clarity through defined authentication phases.
Solution Approach 2:
Hardware authentication is performed as a preliminary action before license authentication. The system first verifies the hardware association between the auxiliary storage device and the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and only after successful hardware authentication does it proceed to license key verification. This preliminary hardware verification ensures that even if license keys are compromised, they cannot be used without the proper hardware association.
2Reliability
If device-unique information is used to generate authentication codes, then unauthorized use is prevented, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges hardware identification information and device-unique information into a unified device identification code generation process. The acquiring unit collects both hardware authentication information (from the auxiliary storage device) and device-unique information (from the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus), and the generation unit combines these to create the device identification code. This merging ensures that both hardware association and device uniqueness are verified without requiring separate complex systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The device identification code serves as an intermediary that bridges hardware authentication and license authentication. Instead of directly comparing hardware identifiers with license keys, the system uses the device identification code (generated from hardware information and device-unique information) as an intermediate verification element. This intermediary simplifies the authentication flow while maintaining security through multi-factor verification.
Data Source
AI summary
A license authentication device for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that provides a licensed function includes: an acquiring unit that acquires first information and second information from the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus; a first authentication information generating unit that generates first authentication information based on the first information and the second information acquired by the acquiring unit; and a usage authority determining unit that, when the first authentication information generated by the first authentication information generating unit and the first authentication information stored in advance in the license authentication device are not identical to each other, restricts use of the licensed function in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.