Back to results
US 11,114,140 B1Granted
One time programmable (OTP) bits for physically unclonable functions
AssigneeHeFeChip Corporation Limited
InventorGeeng-Chuan Chern
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A semiconductor device includes at least a one-time programmable (OTP) physically unclonable function (PUF) unit cell with the PUF unit cell coupled to a bit line and a source line and includes an encode transistor is proposed. An encode enable transistor directly couples the bit line and the source line. A path programming the encode transistor is different from a path reading the encode transistor.
Claims17
A semiconductor device comprising:
- at least a bit line and source line;
- and
- at least a physically unclonable function (PUF) unit cell coupled to the bit line and the source line, the PUF unit cell including an encode transistor, the encode transistor is a MOSFET that is electrically one-time programmable, a gate electrode of the MOSFET can be switched between ground and floating by a switching transistor;
- wherein a path programming the unit cell is different from a path reading the unit cell.
1 more element
A method of programming a semiconductor device, the semiconductor device comprising:
- at least a bit line and source line;
- at least a physically unclonable function (PUF) unit cell, the PUF unit cell comprising:
- an encode select transistor having a first terminal coupled to ground (GND), a second terminal coupled to a control terminal of an encode transistor, and a control terminal coupled to an encode select line;
- the encode transistor further including a first terminal coupled to the source line, and a second terminal coupled to a first terminal of a read select transistor;
- and
- the read select transistor further including a second terminal coupled to the bit line, and a control terminal coupled to a read select line;
- the method comprising:
- applying a voltage to the encode select line to turn on the encode select transistor;
- applying a voltage to the read select line to turn on the read select transistor;
- and
- applying enough voltage to the bit line and the source line simultaneously to cause a breakdown of gate dielectric on top of either a drain or a source of the encode transistor.
8 more elements
A method of reading a semiconductor device, the semiconductor device comprising:
- at least a bit line and source line;
- at least a physically unclonable function (PUF) unit cell, the PUF unit cell comprising:
- an encode select transistor having a first terminal coupled to ground (GND), a second terminal coupled to a control terminal of an encode transistor, and a control terminal coupled to an encode select line;
- the encode transistor further including a first terminal coupled to the source line, and a second terminal coupled to a first terminal of a read select transistor;
- and
- the read select transistor further including a second terminal coupled to the bit line, and a control terminal coupled to a read select line;
- the method comprising:
- applying a voltage to the encode select line to turn off the encode select transistor;
- electrically decoupling the bit line from the source line;
- and
- applying a voltage to the read select line to turn on the read select transistor.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.