IC device authentication using energy characterization
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Publication Number
US-11067625-B2
Publication Date
2021-07-20
Expiration Date
Abstract
Systems, methods, and apparatuses are described for verifying the authenticity of an integrated circuit device. An integrated test apparatus may use quiescent current and/or conducted electromagnetic interference readings to determine if a device under test matches the characteristics of an authenticated device. Deviations from the characteristics of the authenticated device may be indicative of a counterfeit device.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to determining whether an unauthenticated integrated circuit (IC) device is inconsistent with expected authenticated IC device behavior by measuring quiescent current (QC) and comparing results to expected QC values. A QC measurement circuit determines a first QC reading based on application of a first voltage to the unauthenticated IC device and determines a second QC reading based on application of a second voltage to the unauthenticated IC device.
A computational platform determines, based at least in part on a first difference between the first QC reading and a first expected QC value and a second difference between the second QC reading and a second expected QC value, one or more variability values. The computational platform determines, based at least in part on the one or more variability values, that a threshold is not satisfied.
In addition, excitation and conducted electromagnetic interference (EMI) measurement is used to further support the determination. An excitation circuit applies an excitation signal while a steady-state voltage is applied, and an energy calculator detects a tested conducted EMI value based on the applied steady-state voltage and the applied excitation signal. The computational platform determines that a threshold is not satisfied by comparing a difference between the tested conducted EMI value and an expected conducted EMI value associated with an authenticated IC device.
In some implementations, the classification is conditioned on both the QC-based threshold and the conducted EMI-based threshold. The computational platform can determine that the unauthenticated IC device is counterfeit by determining that neither the threshold nor the second threshold is satisfied.
Claims Coverage
The independent claims are clm-00001, clm-00008, and clm-00015. Together, they specify three main inventive areas: QC variability from multiple voltage-applied QC readings, conducted EMI value detection during excitation under steady-state voltage, and a combined threshold-based determination using expected authenticated IC device values.
QC variability from multiple applied voltages with expected QC comparison
A system determines first and second quiescent current (QC) readings for an unauthenticated integrated circuit (IC) device based on application of first and second voltages, then determines one or more variability values from differences between each QC reading and one or more expected QC values associated with an authenticated IC device, and determines that a threshold is not satisfied based at least in part on the one or more variability values.
Conducted EMI detection under excitation with expected EMI comparison
A system applies, while a steady-state voltage is applied to an unauthenticated integrated circuit (IC) device, an excitation signal, detects a tested conducted electromagnetic interference (EMI) value using a voltage detector based on the applied steady-state voltage and the applied excitation signal, and determines based on a difference between the tested conducted EMI value and an expected conducted EMI value associated with an authenticated IC device that a threshold is not satisfied.
Combined QC variability threshold and conducted EMI threshold using expected values
An apparatus determines one or more variability values based on separate applications of a plurality of different voltages to an unauthenticated circuit and determines based on comparing the one or more variability values with one or more expected values that a first threshold is not satisfied; the apparatus further determines a tested conducted electromagnetic interference (EMI) value and determines based on a difference between the tested conducted EMI value and an expected conducted EMI value that a second threshold is not satisfied.
Across independent claims, the inventive coverage centers on computing variability from QC readings at multiple voltages and comparing differences to expected authenticated-device QC values to evaluate a first threshold, and detecting a tested conducted EMI value under steady-state excitation and comparing it to an expected authenticated-device EMI value to evaluate a second threshold.
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