Micro-Nano Fabrication Security via Interconnect Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of micro- and nano-fabricated devices and systems makes it difficult to maintain confidentiality and security of proprietary designs during outsourcing of manufacturing, as the designs often contain valuable intellectual property and sensitive information subject to export regulations, and there is a risk of misuse or malfunction due to potential 'hardware Trojans' during manufacturing.
Innovation Solution
The method involves manufacturing semiconductor substrates up to just before the first layer of electrical interconnects at a foundry, then sending them back to the design organization for completion, thereby keeping the critical electrical interconnection wiring diagram secure and confidential, allowing only the design organization to perform the final electrical interconnect fabrication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the complete manufacturing process is outsourced to a foundry, then manufacturing productivity and cost efficiency are improved, but design confidentiality and security deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process is segmented into two distinct parts: device fabrication (performed by the foundry) and interconnect fabrication (performed by the design organization). This segmentation allows the design organization to retain control over the interconnect design data while still utilizing external foundry resources for device manufacturing, thus maintaining confidentiality while preserving manufacturing efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The interconnect fabrication step is extracted from the outsourced manufacturing process and retained by the design organization. By taking out this critical step that involves proprietary wiring diagram information, the design organization prevents loss of confidential information while still benefiting from foundry manufacturing capabilities for the device structures.
2Loss of information
If the manufacturing process is decoupled to maintain design security, then design confidentiality is improved, but manufacturing complexity and coordination overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
A data file interface serves as an intermediary between the design organization and the foundry. The foundry receives device fabrication data, manufactures devices, and returns intermediate substrates through a controlled data exchange mechanism. This intermediary structure manages the complexity of coordination while maintaining clear separation of confidential information.
Solution Approach 2:
The design organization performs preliminary actions by preparing the interconnect fabrication data and retaining it securely. By performing the interconnect design and preparation in advance, the organization reduces the complexity of real-time coordination during manufacturing while ensuring design confidentiality is maintained throughout the process.
3Reliability
If proprietary design information is shared with the foundry, then manufacturing capability and quality are improved, but risk of design misuse or hardware Trojans increases
Solution Approach 1:
The proprietary interconnect wiring diagram information is extracted and retained by the design organization, preventing it from being shared with the foundry. This extraction eliminates the risk of design misuse or hardware Trojan insertion by external manufacturers while still allowing them to perform device fabrication based on non-proprietary device structure data.
Solution Approach 2:
The design information is segmented into device structure data (shared with foundry) and interconnect wiring data (retained by design organization). This segmentation allows the foundry to manufacture devices with sufficient quality and reliability while preventing exposure to the complete proprietary design that could be misused for harmful purposes.
Data Source
AI summary
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.