Correlating Photonic and EM Emissions for IC Security
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Solution Overview
Problem
The increasing complexity and density of modern integrated circuits due to transistor scale-down lead to enhanced electromagnetic (EM) emission, posing a risk of information leakage through EM emission signatures, necessitating new capabilities for remote detection of program execution changes and malware activation to protect sensitive information.
Innovation Solution
Developing predictive EM emission models by correlating EM emission measurements with photonic emission data using Time Resolved Emission (TRE) and Picosecond Imaging Circuit Analysis (PICA), enabling remote detection and classification of changes in program execution and malware activation through anomaly identification in EM emission signatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If transistor dimensions are scaled down to increase circuit density, then circuit complexity and operation speed improve, but electromagnetic emission increases causing information leakage risk
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful electromagnetic emissions into useful photonic emissions that can be detected and analyzed. By using photonic emission microscopy to detect light emitted from transistor junctions, the system transforms the problematic EM radiation into a detectable optical signal that reveals circuit activity patterns, enabling both security monitoring and debugging capabilities.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If photonic emission data is used to develop predictive EM emission models, then remote detection capability improves, but measurement and correlation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces photonic emission measurements as an intermediary between circuit activity and electromagnetic emission characteristics. By first measuring photonic emissions from individual transistors and then correlating these with EM emission data, the system creates a intermediate model that simplifies the direct measurement problem and enables remote detection through a multi-step correlation process.
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
Enables remote detection and classification of changes in program execution and potential malware activation, improving security by correlating EM and photonic emission data to establish dynamic behavior-to-emission mapping and predictive analysis, thereby enhancing information protection.
Implementation Method 1
A technique known as photonic emission microscopy (PEM) or its variation, Picosecond Imaging Circuit_analysis (PICA), has emerged in recent years that can detect light emitted from transistors when they switch
Implementation Method 2
EM emission is caused by changes of current and/or voltage of millions of transistors inside an integrated circuit
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus related to developing electromagnetic emission and power models for a target device using photonic emissions thereof are provided. Data of photonic emissions of a target device during a first period of time with the target device in one or more modes is recorded. Data of electromagnetic emissions of the target device during the first period of time with the target device in the one or more modes is also recorded. The recorded data of the photonic emissions and the recorded data of the electromagnetic emissions are correlated to establish one or more electromagnetic emission models for the target device. The one or more electromagnetic emission models enable predictive analysis of emissions by the target device.