A device that is capable of eliminating a power trace that can be analyzed in a power analysis attack and serves as a highly effective countermeasure against power analysis attacks. The device comprising an optical source providing optical energy to an integrated circuit. An optical detector optically linked to the optical source and converts the optical energy from the optical source into electrical energy to power a secure circuit.

According to one embodiment, a chip is described comprising a transistor level, a semiconductor region in, below, or in and below the transistor level, a test signal circuit configured to supply a test signal to the semiconductor region, a determiner configured to determine a behavior of the semiconductor region in response to the test signal and a detector configured to detect a change of geometry of the semiconductor region based on the behavior and a reference behavior of the semiconductor region in response to the test signal.

An integrated circuit includes an array of devices including a physically unclonable function (PUF) for chip authentication. A logic pattern is stored in the devices. The logic pattern is determined in accordance with processing variations during manufacture of the array. The logic pattern is represented with a first state for one or more devices with contact shorts and a second state with one or more devices without contact shorts.

A method for fabricating a semiconductor chip includes forming a plurality of conducting pads at a front face of a substrate, thinning a rear face of the substrate, etching openings under each conducting pad from the rear face, depositing a layer of a dielectric on walls and a bottom of the openings, forming a conducting material in the openings, and forming a conducting strip on the rear face. The conducting strip is electrically connected to the conducting material of each of the openings. The etching is stopped when the respective conducting pad is reached.

A physically unclonable function (PUF) device comprises a plurality of conductors, at least some of which are arranged so that they interact electrically and/or magnetically with one another. A media surrounds at least a portion of each of the conductors and a plurality of temperature compensation particles are arranged throughout the media, where the temperature compensation particles have a temperature coefficient selected such that they compensate for temperature-related effects in the PUF device by making the permittivity and/or permeability of the media substantially temperature independent. Circuitry applies an electrical challenge signal to at least one or the conductors and receives an electrical output from at least one of the other conductors to generate an identifying response to the challenge signal that is unique to the device.

A first integrated circuit chip is assembled to a second integrated circuit chip with a back-to-back surface relationship. The back surfaces of the integrated circuit chips are attached to each other using one or more of an adhesive, solder or molecular bonding. The back surface of at least one the integrated circuit chips is processed to include at least one of a trench, a cavity or a saw cut.

Techniques and mechanisms for providing physically unclonable function (PUF) circuitry at a substrate which supports coupling to an integrated circuit (IC) chip. In an embodiment, the substrate comprises an array of electrodes which extend in a level of metallization at a side of the insulator layer. A cap layer, disposed on the array, is in contact with the electrodes and with a portion of the insulator layer which is between the electrodes. A material of the cap layer has a different composition or microstructure than the metallization. Regions of the cap layer variously provide respective impedances each between a corresponding two electrodes. In other embodiments, the substrate includes (or couples to) integrated circuitry that is operable to determine security information based on the detection of one or more such impedances.

A method for producing an individualisation area includes providing at least a first level of the electrical tracks. The method includes depositing a dielectric layer and a deformable layer on the interconnection level. The method includes producing, in an area of the deformable layer, recessed patterns, by penetrating an imprint mould into the deformable layer, the production of the patterns being configured so that the patterns have a randomness in the deformable layer, thus forming random patterns. The method includes transferring the random patterns into the dielectric layer to form transferred random patterns therein and exposing the vias located in line with the transferred random patterns. The method includes filling the transferred random patterns with an electrically conductive material so as to form electrical connections between vias. The method includes producing a second level of the electrical tracks on the vias and the electrical connections.

Embodiments provide a method for manufacturing a microelectronic arrangement. The method includes a step of providing a chip-film module with a semiconductor chip and a film substrate having arranged thereon the semiconductor chip, wherein the chip-film module includes at least one coupling element spaced apart from the semiconductor chip and electrically coupled to at least one terminal of the semiconductor chip. Furthermore, the method includes a step of embedding the chip-film module into a printed circuit board, wherein, in embedding the chip-film module into the printed circuit board, the at least one coupling element of the chip-film module is coupled vertically [e.g. in the vertical direction [e.g. in relation to the printed circuit board]] [e.g. perpendicular to a surface of the printed circuit board] to at least one coupling counter element of the printed circuit board

The present description concerns a ROM including at least one first rewritable memory cell.