Anti-tamper x-ray blocking package
The present disclosure relates to integrated circuits, and more particularly, to an anti-tamper x-ray blocking package for secure integrated circuits and methods of manufacture and operation. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a structure including: one or more devices on a front side of a semiconductor material; a plurality of patterned metal layers under the one or more devices, located and structured to protect the one or more devices from an active intrusion; an insulator layer between the plurality of patterned metal layers; and at least one contact providing an electrical connection through the semiconductor material to a front side of the plurality of metals.
1. A structure, comprising:
one or more devices on a front side of a semiconductor material;
a plurality of patterned metal layers under the one or more devices, located and structured to protect the one or more devices from an active intrusion;
an insulator layer between the plurality of patterned metal layers; and
at least one contact providing an electrical connection through the semiconductor material to a front side of the plurality of metals,
wherein the one or more devices comprise at least one radio frequency (RF) device and a region under the at least one RF device is an insulator material devoid of the plurality of patterned metal layers.
2. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of patterned metal layers and the insulator layer are a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor.
3. The structure of claim 2 , wherein the one or more devices are front end of the line devices and the MIM capacitor is on different device layers.
4. The structure of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of patterned metal layers comprise a first metal overlaid on a second metal to form a grid pattern.
5. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of patterned metal layers is an inductor.
6. The structure of claim 1 , further comprising a logic circuit connected to the plurality of patterned metal layers and configured to detect a capacitance change in the plurality of patterned metal layers.
7. The structure of claim 6 , wherein the logic circuit is configured to generate a tamper signal to alter a circuit operation in response to the detected capacitance change.
8. The structure of claim 1 , wherein:
the insulator layer is under the semiconductor material,
a wafer is below the insulator layer,
the plurality of patterned metal layers is below the semiconductor material, and
the at least one contact is provided through the semiconductor material.
9. The structure of claim 1 , further comprising a handle wafer, wherein:
the semiconductor material is bulk Si, and
the plurality of patterned metal layers is positioned between the handle wafer and the bulk Si.
10. The structure of claim 9 , further comprising a marker layer which is different than the bulk Si, wherein:
the marker layer is on an underside of the bulk Si;
the plurality of metals is on an underside of the marker layer; and
the at least one contact is a plurality of through silicon vias extending through the marker layer and in contact with at least one metal of the plurality of metals along its length.
11. A structure, comprising:
at least one device on a front side of semiconductor material;
a metal-insulator-metal capacitor on a backside of the semiconductor material;
at least one contact connecting to a front side of the metal-insulator-metal capacitor and which extends through the semiconductor material; and
a logic circuit connecting to a plurality of metals via the at least one contact, and which is configured to detect a capacitance change in a backside patterned metal layer,
wherein the metal-insulator-metal capacitor is a grid pattern with a top metal material and a bottom metal material patterned in different orientations.
12. The structure of claim 11 , wherein the metal-insular-metal capacitor includes a plurality of patterned metal layers buried between a wafer and the semiconductor material.
13. The structure of claim 11 , wherein the at least one contact is a plurality of contacts along a length of the metal-insular-metal capacitor.
14. The structure of claim 11 , wherein the at least one contact is a plurality of through-silicon vias (TSVs).
15. The structure of claim 11 , further comprising a wafer located underneath the semiconductor material, wherein the semiconductor material is a bulk semiconductor material and the metal-insular-metal capacitor is buried between the wafer and the bulk semiconductor material.
16. The structure of claim 15 , further comprising an etch stop layer between the bulk semiconductor material and the metal-insular-metal capacitor.
17. The structure of claim 11 , wherein the metal-insular-metal capacitor is positioned and structured to prevent an attack from reaching the at least one device, and the logic circuit is configured to generate a tamper signal to alter a circuit operation in response to a detected capacitance change of the metal-insular-metal capacitor.
18. A method, comprising:
forming one or more devices on a front side of a semiconductor material;
forming a metal-insulator-metal capacitor under the one or more devices, located and structured to protect the one or more devices from an active intrusion; and
forming at least one contact providing an electrical connection through the semiconductor material to a front side of the metal-insulator-metal capacitor,
wherein the metal-insulator-metal capacitor is a grid pattern with a top metal material and a bottom metal material patterned in different orientations.