Semiconductor Package with Exothermic Self-Destruct Layer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Smart card modules and semiconductor packages are vulnerable to external attacks that expose the chip, allowing unauthorized access and manipulation, leading to financial losses in industries like pay TV, credit, and cashless transactions, as well as security breaches in sensitive data storage.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor package is designed with a thermally coupled metastable layer that triggers an exothermic reaction above 200°C when energy is applied, damaging the chip and preventing external access, using materials like Li-based compounds and highly crosslinked encapsulating materials to protect the chip.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the chip is exposed externally by removing or thinning the encapsulation, then external access to the chip is enabled for reading or manipulation, but the chip becomes vulnerable to physical attacks and data theft
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by incorporating a metastable layer that will undergo exothermic decomposition if the encapsulation is removed or thinned. This pre-prepared protective mechanism activates in response to attempted attacks, converting the harmful action into chip-damaging heat that prevents data theft while maintaining normal operation during legitimate use.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful effect of encapsulation removal into a beneficial protective response. The metastable layer is designed to decompose exothermically when exposed to the conditions created by removing the encapsulation, transforming the attack vector into a self-destruct mechanism that protects the chip data by rendering the chip inoperative.
2Reliability
If a metastable layer with exothermic decomposition is added to protect the chip, then chip security against physical attacks is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by selecting materials with specific metastable properties that decompose at controlled temperatures. The metastable layer is formulated to remain stable during normal operation and encapsulation processes but undergo exothermic decomposition at temperatures reached during encapsulation removal, providing security without requiring complex control systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials by integrating the metastable layer within the encapsulation structure. The encapsulation material is formulated to contain or be combined with the metastable substance, creating a multi-functional composite that provides both mechanical protection and active security response, thereby reducing overall device complexity compared to separate security mechanisms.
3Reliability
If the encapsulation material is highly crosslinked to prevent removal, then chip protection is improved, but manufacturing precision and process control become more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by carefully controlling the crosslinking degree and activation temperature of the encapsulation material. The material is designed to maintain high integrity during normal operation and standard manufacturing processes, but becomes removable under controlled conditions using specific solvents or processes that target the crosslinked structure without triggering the metastable layer's decomposition.
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
The solution effectively prevents unauthorized access by irreversibly damaging the chip upon attempted exposure, ensuring the chip's functionality and data security, even when the encapsulation is removed, thereby reducing financial losses and data breaches.
Implementation Method 1
a layer (228) that is thermally coupled to the chip (110) and that is formed from a material having a triggering temperature of greater than or equal to 200° C., starting from which an exothermic reaction takes place
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor package includes a chip, a layer which is thermally coupled to the chip and which is formed from a material having a triggering temperature of greater than or equal to 200° C., starting from which an exothermic reaction takes place, and encapsulating material which at least partly covers the chip and the layer. The layer is configured in such a way and is arranged relative to the chip in such a way that, in the case of a triggered exothermic reaction of the material of the layer, at least one component of the chip is damaged on account of the temperature increase caused by the exothermic reaction.