Hardware Deprocessing via Voltage Imaging for IC Assurance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for physical inspection of integrated circuits (ICs) are either time-consuming and labor-intensive, like reverse engineering, or they do not provide full functionality information, such as Trojan scanners.
Innovation Solution
The use of electron beam voltage imaging and Monte Carlo simulations to generate thickness-based contour maps and estimated electron beam penetration depths, allowing for dynamically adaptable delayering and adjustment of deprocessing rates to ensure uniformity during hardware deprocessing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If reverse engineering is used to fully analyze IC structure and functionality, then complete hardware assurance information is obtained, but the process becomes time-consuming and labor-intensive
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary thickness mapping and E-beam penetration depth estimation before the actual deprocessing operation. By pre-characterizing the substrate thickness distribution and calculating appropriate E-beam parameters, the system prepares optimal deprocessing conditions in advance, enabling faster and more efficient material removal while maintaining complete hardware assurance information.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts E-beam deprocessing parameters based on real-time thickness measurements and penetration depth calculations. By making the deprocessing process adaptive and dynamic rather than static, the system optimizes material removal rates while preserving critical hardware assurance data, resolving the contradiction between completeness and speed.
2Manufacturing precision
If uniform deprocessing rate is applied across the IC substrate, then the process is simple to control, but non-uniform substrate thickness causes inconsistent delayering quality
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements spatially varying deprocessing parameters tailored to local substrate thickness characteristics. By dividing the substrate into regions with different thickness profiles and applying customized E-beam parameters to each region, the system achieves uniform delayering quality across the entire IC while accounting for local variations in substrate geometry.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces simple mechanical control of uniform deprocessing with a sophisticated computational model that uses thickness maps and Monte Carlo simulations to determine optimal E-beam parameters. This substitution of mechanical simplicity with computational intelligence enables precise control of delayering uniformity while managing the inherent complexity through software rather than hardware.
3Productivity
If E-beam voltage is increased to improve penetration depth for thicker regions, then delayering efficiency improves, but damage to underlying structures increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically changes E-beam parameters including voltage, current, and scanning patterns based on local substrate thickness and desired delayering rates. By adjusting these parameters in response to real-time conditions rather than using fixed settings, the system optimizes the balance between delayering productivity and prevention of harmful effects on underlying IC structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses thickness measurement feedback from electron microscopy imaging to continuously adjust E-beam deprocessing parameters. This closed-loop feedback mechanism allows the system to respond to actual substrate conditions during processing, increasing productivity when appropriate while preventing damage by reducing energy input when approaching critical structures.
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 efficient and uniform delayering of ICs, improving the accuracy of hardware assurance processes by providing detailed thickness measurements for adjusting deprocessing rates, thus enhancing the extraction of annotation data and netlist extraction.
Implementation Method 1
each sample image of the set of sample images is captured from a backside of the hardware using an E-beam voltage of the plurality of E-beam voltages
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods, apparatus, systems, computing devices, computing entities for setting deprocessing parameters used in conducting hardware deprocessing on a hardware. In accordance with one embodiment, a method is provided that includes: receiving sample images using different E-beam voltages, wherein each image is captured from a backside of the hardware using a different E-beam voltage; generating thickness-based contour maps, wherein each map is generated for an image and includes contour lines indicating locations having a same thickness of remaining material; generating estimated E-beam penetration depths, wherein each depth is generated for an image and is based at least in part on the E-beam voltage used to capture the image; generating an estimated thickness measurement of the remaining material based at least in part on the contour maps and the penetration depths; and setting the deprocessing parameters based at least in part on the estimated thickness measurement.