Techniques create a semiconductor layout comprising a resistor structure having a defined baseline sheet resistance. The semiconductor layout includes a resistor marker layer over the resistor structure. A sheet resistance matching estimate is performed to ascertain a difference between the baseline sheet resistance and a resultant sheet resistance if the resistor structure were to be manufactured using a manufacturing process. A mask generating algorithm is generated based on the difference effective to achieve a sheet resistance of the resistor structure that is closer to the baseline sheet resistance rather than the resultant sheet resistance. The mask generating algorithm enables one or more masks to be generated to modify the resistor structure relative to the resistor marker layer.

A semiconductor apparatus includes a chip ID generation unit, a chip ID transmission unit and a chip stack information generation unit. The chip ID generation unit is configured to generate a chip ID signal. The chip ID transmission unit is configured to output the chip ID signal to a common line on the basis of whether another chip is electrically coupled therewith. The chip stack information generation unit is configured to be electrically coupled with the common line in response to the chip ID signal and generate a stack information signal.

A method of individualizing a semiconductor chip of a batch of semiconductor chips with respective individualization data of the semiconductor chip, the method comprising, applying a plurality of circuit layouts to the semiconductor chip to form a plurality of circuits on the semiconductor chip, wherein for each circuit layout, said circuit layout is arranged such that, (a) the corresponding circuit, when triggered, falls into any one of two or more respective triggered states, and (b) one of the two or more respective triggered states is a respective preferred state defined by said circuit layout, wherein the plurality of respective preferred states of the circuits in the plurality of circuits encode the individualization data, and wherein each individualized semiconductor chip of the batch of semiconductor chips comprises a generic circuit.

An electronic device comprising a semiconductor chip which comprises a plurality of structures formed in the semiconductor chip, wherein the semiconductor chip is a member of a set of semiconductor chips, the set of semiconductor chips comprises a plurality of subsets of semiconductor chips, and the semiconductor chip is a member of only one of the subsets. The plurality of structures of the semiconductor chip includes a set of common structures which is the same for all of the semiconductor chips of the set, and a set of non-common structures, wherein the non-common structures of the semiconductor chip of the subset is different from a non-common circuit of the semiconductor chips in every other subset. At least a first portion of the non-common structures and a first portion of the common structures form a first non-common circuit, wherein the first non-common circuit of the semiconductor chips of each subset is different from a non-common circuit of the semiconductor chips in every other subset. At least a second portion of the non-common structures is adapted to store or generate a first predetermined value which uniquely identifies the first non-common circuit, wherein the first predetermined value is readable from outside the semiconductor chip by automated reading means.

Devices, systems and methods for uniquely identifying integrated circuits are provided. For at least one embodiment, a method for marking a given integrated circuit out of a plurality of integrated circuits, includes the operations of fabricating a plurality of identifier devices onto each integrated circuit of the plurality of integrated circuits; testing each of the plurality of identifier devices to obtain a test result for each identifier device; associating together each test result obtained for each identifier device fabricated onto each given integrated circuit to form an analog identifier for the given integrated circuit; and storing in a database each analog identifier for each of the plurality of integrated circuits. For at least one embodiment, a method for identifying an integrated circuit previously marked in an accordance with the present disclosure is provided. Articles of commerce marked using an embodiment of the present disclosure are also described.

Several embodiments of reclaimable semiconductor device packages and assemblies are disclosed herein. A semiconductor device assembly (100) includes a package (101) having a housing (102) and a package contact (104) arranged to receive a signal indicative of a reclamation state. A plurality of modules of semiconductor dies (106) are located within the housing and electrically coupled to the package contact (104). The dies (106) of the first and second modules dies are configured to store a module configuration state. The first and second modules (107a, 107b) are enabled for operation based, at least in part, on the reclamation state and the module configuration state.

Various methods and structures for fabricating a semiconductor chip structure comprising a chip identification fingerprint layer. A semiconductor chip structure includes a substrate and a chip identification layer disposed on the substrate, the chip identification layer comprising random patterns of electrically conductive material in trenches formed in a semiconductor layer. The chip identification layer is sandwiched between two layers of electrodes that have a crossbar structure. A first crossbar in the crossbar structure is located on a first side of the chip identification layer and includes a first set of electrical contacts in a first grid pattern contacting the first side of the chip identification layer. A second crossbar in the crossbar structure is located on a second side of the chip identification layer and includes a second set of electrical contacts in a second grid pattern contacting the second side of the chip identification layer.

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming semiconductor devices from a semiconductor wafer and identifying a position of the semiconductor device in the semiconductor wafer, wherein the forming the semiconductor devices includes forming a first repeating pattern including i semiconductor devices each having a unique pattern, forming a second repeating pattern including j semiconductor devices each having a unique pattern, defining semiconductor devices on the semiconductor wafer such that each of the k semiconductor devices has a unique pattern based on the first and second repeating patterns, and grinding a backside of the semiconductor wafer, wherein each unique pattern of the k semiconductor devices is composed of a combination of the unique patterns of the first and second repeating patterns, wherein the position of the semiconductor device is identified based on the unique patterns of the first and second repeating patterns and an angle of a grinding mark.

An electronic device comprising a semiconductor chip which comprises a plurality of structures formed in the semiconductor chip, wherein the semiconductor chip is a member of a set of semiconductor chips, the set of semiconductor chips comprises a plurality of subsets of semiconductor chips, and the semiconductor chip is a member of only one of the subsets. The plurality of structures of the semiconductor chip includes a set of common structures which is the same for all of the semiconductor chips of the set, and a set of non-common structures, wherein the non-common structures of the semiconductor chip of the subset is different from a non-common circuit of the semiconductor chips in every other subset. At least a first portion of the non-common structures and a first portion of the common structures form a first non-common circuit, wherein the first non-common circuit of the semiconductor chips of each subset is different from a non-common circuit of the semiconductor chips in every other subset. At least a second portion of the non-common structures is adapted to store or generate a first predetermined value which uniquely identifies the first non-common circuit, wherein the first predetermined value is readable from outside the semiconductor chip by automated reading means.

The invention is based on a method for producing an individualisation zone of a chip comprising a component level and a contact level comprising vias, the method comprising the following steps: providing the components level and a dielectric layer, forming a mask on the dielectric layer, etching the dielectric layer through mask openings so as to form openings opening onto the contact zones of the components level, forming fluorinated residue by inputting fluorinated species on at least some contact zones, the openings thus comprising openings with fluorinated residue and openings without residue, filling the openings so as to form the vias of the contact level, said vias comprising functional vias at the openings without residue and altered vias at the openings with residue.