Semiconductor device and apparatus including semiconductor device
View Patent ↗A semiconductor device includes a substrate on which an electronic circuit is provided. One or more pads may be present which can connect the electronic circuit to an external device outside the substrate. A current meter is electrically in contact with at least a part of the substrate and/or the pad. The meter can measure a parameter forming a measure for an amount of a current flowing between the substrate and at least one of the at least one pad. A control unit is connected to the current meter and the electronic circuit, for controlling the electronic circuit based on the measured parameter.
1. A semiconductor device, comprising:
a substrate on which an electronic circuit is provided, said electronic circuit having a normal mode and a multiple of non-normal modes having different levels of safety;
at least one pad for connecting the electronic circuit to an external device outside the substrate;
a current meter which is electrically in contact with at least a part of said substrate and/or said pad, for measuring a parameter forming a measure for an amount of a current flowing between said substrate and at least one of said at least one pad;
a control unit connected to said current meter and said electronic circuit, for controlling an operating mode said electronic circuit based on said measured parameter, said control unit including: a selection unit connected to said current meter, for selecting a non-normal mode, when said amount of current is above a safe operating threshold, with a level of safety proportional to said amount of current and a mode-controller connected to said selection unit and, for controlling said electronic circuit to be in said selected non-normal mode.
2. A semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said control unit compares said amount of current with two or more threshold values and selects said non-normal mode depending on which threshold value is exceeded.
3. A semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said control unit selects a less secure mode if a lower threshold is exceeded and selects a more secure mode if a higher threshold is exceeded.
4. A semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said non-normal modes include one or more of the group consisting of: watch mode, analog measure disabled mode, no RAM access mode, no flash access mode, security halt mode.
5. A semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said electronic circuit includes a logic circuit which forms said mode-controller.
6. A semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1 , including a current sensor connected to said current meter, said current sensor includes a sensor portion of said substrate positioned between said pad and said electronic circuit, said portion being part of a path for an injected current.
7. A semiconductor device as claimed in claim 6 , wherein said sensor portion surrounds a circuit region of the substrate, in which circuit region said electronic circuit is present.
8. A semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein at least a pad portion of said substrate, said pad portion surrounding said pad is provided with a doping of a first type and said portion is provided with a doping of an second type.
9. A semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said electronic circuit includes a logic circuit and said current meter includes an analogue to digital converter connected to the logic circuit.
10. A semiconductor device as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the analogue to digital converter is part of the electronic circuit.
11. A semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said substrate includes a barrier between the pad and the electronic circuit, said barrier at least partially inhibiting a current flow between the pad and the electronic circuit.
12. A semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1 , comprising:
a sensor for sensing said current flowing between said substrate and at least one of said at least one pad;
a detector connected to the sensor, for detecting that said current exceeds a current threshold; and
a current meter controller connected to said detector and to said current meter for activating said current meter when said current exceeds said threshold.
13. A semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1 , comprising:
a sensor for sensing said current flowing between said substrate and at least one of said at least one pad;
a detector connected to the sensor, for detecting that said current exceeds a current threshold and outputting to said electronic circuit a signal suitable to be processed by said electronic circuit when said current exceeds said threshold.
14. A semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said electronic circuit includes one or more of the group consisting of:
microprocessor, central processing unit, coprocessor, digital signal processor, embedded processor, microcontroller.
15. A semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
said multiple of non-normal modes includes a first non-normal mode and a second non-normal mode;
in selecting a non-normal mode, said selection unit is further for selecting between said normal mode and said first non-normal mode when said amount of current is above a first threshold, and for selecting between said normal mode and said second non-normal mode when said amount of current is above a second threshold.
16. A semiconductor device, comprising:
a substrate including an electronic circuit, wherein the electronic circuit operates in a normal mode, a first safety mode, and a second safety mode;
a current meter coupled to the substrate and a pad of the substrate, the current meter for measuring a an amount of a current flowing between the substrate and the pad, the pad being operable to couple the electronic circuit to a device outside the substrate;
a control unit coupled to the current meter and to the electronic circuit, the control unit operable to control an operating mode of the electronic circuit based on the amount of current, the control unit comprising:
a selection unit operable to select between the normal mode, the first safety mode, and the second safety mode based upon the amount of current; and
a mode-controller operable to control the electronic circuit to operate in the selected mode.
17. A semiconductor device as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the substrate further includes a sensor portion positioned between the pad and the electronic circuit, the sensor portion being coupled to the current meter.
18. A semiconductor device as claimed in claim 17 , wherein the substrate includes a pad portion surrounding the pad, the pad portion being provided with a doping of a first type and the sensor portion being provided with a doping of an second type.
19. A semiconductor device as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the substrate includes a barrier between the pad and the electronic circuit, wherein the barrier at least partially inhibits a current flow between the pad and the electronic circuit.
20. A method comprising:
coupling a current meter between a substrate and a pad of the substrate, wherein:
the substrate includes an electronic circuit that operates in a normal mode, a first safety mode, and a second safety mode;
the pad is operable to couple the electronic device to an external device; and
the current meter is operable to measure an amount of current flowing between the substrate and the pad;
measuring the amount of current;
selecting an operating mode of the electronic device in response to measuring the amount of current, the selecting further comprising:
selecting the normal mode when the amount of current is less than a first threshold and a second threshold;
selecting the first safety mode when the amount of current is greater than the first threshold and less than the second threshold; and
selecting the second safety mode when the amount of current is greater than the first threshold and the second threshold; and
controlling the electronic device to operate in the selected operating mode.