Implementing tamper resistant integrated circuit chips
View Patent ↗A method and tamper resistant circuit for resisting tampering including reverse engineering in a semiconductor chip, and a design structure on which the subject circuit resides are provided. A sensing device for detecting a chip tampering state is formed with the semiconductor chip including the circuitry to be protected. A tamper resistant control signal generator is coupled to the sensing unit for generating a tamper resistant control signal responsive to a detected chip tampering state. A functional operation inhibit circuit is coupled to the tamper resistant control signal generator for inhibiting functional operation of the circuitry to be protected responsive to the tamper resistant control signal.
1. A tamper resistant circuit for resisting tampering in a semiconductor chip comprising:
a sensing device detecting a chip tampering state, said sensing device being formed with the semiconductor chip including the circuitry to be protected;
a tamper resistant control signal generator coupled to said sensing device, said tamper resistant control signal generator generating a tamper resistant control signal responsive to a detected chip tampering state; and
a functional operation inhibit circuit coupled to said tamper resistant control signal generator, said functional operation inhibit circuit inhibiting functional operation of the circuitry to be protected responsive to the tamper resistant control signal; wherein said functional operation inhibit circuit includes a multiplexer for selecting a clock output from a random noise generator instead of a clock generator for inhibiting functional operation of the circuitry to be protected responsive to the tamper resistant control signal.
2. The tamper resistant circuit as recited in claim 1 , wherein said sensing device includes a photodetector.
3. The tamper resistant circuit as recited in claim 1 , wherein said sensing device includes a photodiode.
4. The tamper resistant circuit as recited in claim 1 , wherein said tamper resistant control signal generator provides a zero state for the tamper resistant control signal during normal operation, wafer level testing, and module testing.
5. The tamper resistant circuit as recited in claim 1 , wherein said tamper resistant control signal generator provides the tamper resistant control signal of a one state responsive to a detected chip tampering state.
6. The tamper resistant circuit as recited in claim 1 , wherein said functional operation inhibit circuit deactivates an on-chip I/O block for inhibiting functional operation of the circuitry to be protected responsive to the tamper resistant control signal.
7. The tamper resistant circuit as recited in claim 1 , wherein said functional operation inhibit circuit deactivates an on-chip clock generator block for inhibiting functional operation of the circuitry to be protected responsive to the tamper resistant control signal.
8. The tamper resistant circuit as recited in claim 1 , wherein said functional operation inhibit circuit deactivates an on-chip DC generator block for inhibiting functional operation of the circuitry to be protected responsive to the tamper resistant control signal.
9. A tamper resistant method for resisting tampering in a semiconductor chip comprising:
forming a sensing device with the semiconductor chip including the circuitry to be protected; said sensing device being arranged for detecting a chip tampering state;
providing a tamper resistant control signal generator coupled to said sensing device, generating a tamper resistant control signal with said tamper resistant control signal generator responsive to a detected chip tampering state; and
providing a functional operation inhibit circuit coupled to said tamper resistant control signal generator, applying said tamper resistant control signal to said functional operation inhibit circuit and inhibiting functional operation of the circuitry to be protected responsive to said tamper resistant control signal; wherein said functional operation inhibit circuit includes a multiplexer for selecting a clock output from a random noise generator instead of a clock generator for inhibiting functional operation of the circuitry to be protected responsive to the tamper resistant control signal.
10. The tamper resistant method as recited in claim 9 , wherein providing a tamper resistant control signal generator coupled to said sensing device, generating a tamper resistant control signal with said tamper resistant control signal generator responsive to a detected chip tampering state includes providing a zero value for the tamper resistant control signal during normal operation, wafer level testing, and module testing.
11. The tamper resistant method as recited in claim 9 , wherein forming said sensing device with the semiconductor chip including the circuitry to be protected includes forming a photodetector with the semiconductor chip.
12. The tamper resistant method as recited in claim 9 , wherein forming said sensing device with the semiconductor chip including the circuitry to be protected includes forming a photodiode with the semiconductor chip.
13. The tamper resistant method as recited in claim 9 , wherein applying said tamper resistant control signal to said functional operation inhibit circuit and inhibiting functional operation of the circuitry to be protected responsive to said tamper resistant control signal includes deactivates an on-chip I/O block for inhibiting functional operation of the circuitry to be protected responsive to the tamper resistant control signal.
14. The tamper resistant method as recited in claim 9 , wherein applying said tamper resistant control signal to said functional operation inhibit circuit and inhibiting functional operation of the circuitry to be protected responsive to said tamper resistant control signal includes deactivates an on-chip DC generator for inhibiting functional operation of the circuitry to be protected responsive to the tamper resistant control signal.
15. The tamper resistant method as recited in claim 9 , wherein applying said tamper resistant control signal to said functional operation inhibit circuit and inhibiting functional operation of the circuitry to be protected responsive to said tamper resistant control signal includes deactivating an on-chip clock generator block for inhibiting functional operation of the circuitry to be protected responsive to the tamper resistant control signal.
16. A design structure embodied in a machine readable medium used in a design process, the design structure comprising:
a tamper resistant circuit tangibly embodied in the machine readable medium used in the design process, said tamper resistant circuit for resisting tampering in a semiconductor chip, said tamper resistant circuit including:
a sensing device detecting a chip tampering state, said sensing device being formed with the semiconductor chip including the circuitry to be protected;
a tamper resistant control signal generator coupled to said sensing device, said tamper resistant control signal generator generating a tamper resistant control signal responsive to a detected chip tampering state; and
a functional operation inhibit circuit coupled to said tamper resistant control signal generator, said functional operation inhibit circuit inhibiting functional operation of the circuitry to be protected responsive to the tamper resistant control signal, wherein said functional operation inhibit circuit includes a multiplexer for selecting a clock output from a random noise generator instead of a clock generator for inhibiting functional operation of the circuitry to be protected responsive to the tamper resistant control signal and the design structure, when read and used in the manufacture of a semiconductor chip produces a chip comprising said tamper resistant circuit.
17. The design structure of claim 16 , wherein said functional operation inhibit circuit deactivates an on-chip data I/O circuit for inhibiting functional operation of the circuitry to be protected responsive to the tamper resistant control signal.
18. The design structure of claim 16 , wherein the design structure comprises a netlist, which describes said tamper resistant circuit.
19. The design structure of claim 16 , wherein the design structure resides on storage medium as a data format used for the exchange of layout data of integrated circuits.
20. The design structure of claim 16 , wherein the design structure includes at least one of test data files, characterization data, verification data, or design specifications.
21. The design structure of claim 16 , wherein said sensing device includes a photodetector.
22. The design structure of claim 16 , wherein said functional operation inhibit circuit deactivates an on-chip DC generator for inhibiting functional operation of the circuitry to be protected responsive to the tamper resistant control signal.
23. The design structure of claim 16 , wherein said functional operation inhibit circuit deactivates an on-chip clock generator for inhibiting functional operation of the circuitry to be protected responsive to the tamper resistant control signal.