Protected electronic integrated circuit chip
AssigneesSTMicroelectronics (Rousset) SAS, STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited
InventorsMathieu Lisart, Bruce Rae
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electronic integrated circuit chip includes a semiconductor substrate with a front side and a back side. A first reflective shield is positioned adjacent the front side of the semiconductor substrate and a second reflective shield is positioned adjacent the back side of the semiconductor substrate. Photons are emitted by a photon source to pass through the semiconductor substrate and bounce off the first and second reflective shields to reach a photon detector at the front side of the semiconductor substrate. The detected photons are processed in order to determine whether to issue an alert indicating the existence of an attack on the electronic integrated circuit chip.
Claims15
An electronic integrated circuit chip, comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate;
- a first shield adjacent a first side of the semiconductor substrate;
- a second shield adjacent a second side of the semiconductor substrate opposite the first side;
- and
- a first photon detector supported at the first side of the semiconductor substrate and located between the first and second shields.
An electronic integrated circuit chip, comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate including a first side and a second side opposite the first side;
- a first shield positioned above the first side of the semiconductor substrate;
- a second shield positioned adjacent the second side of the semiconductor substrate;
- a photon detector supported at the first side of the semiconductor substrate;
- a photon source supported at the first side of the semiconductor substrate;
- wherein said photon source is configured to emit photons to travel through the semiconductor substrate, reflect off the second shield, further travel through the semiconductor substrate;
- and reflect off the first shield towards the photon detector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.