PUF applications in memories
AssigneeMacronix International Co., Ltd.
InventorsChin-Hung Chang, Chia-Jung Chen, Ken-Hui Chen, Kuen-Long Chang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A memory device comprises an array of memory cells, a physically unclonable function PUF circuit in the memory device to generate a PUF code, a data path connecting a first circuit to a second circuit in the memory device coupled to the array of memory cells, and logic circuitry to encode data on the data path from the first circuit using the PUF code to produce encoded data, and to provide the encoded data to the second circuit.
Claims21
A memory device, comprising:
- an array of memory cells;
- a physically unclonable function (PUF) circuit to provide PUF codes;
- a deterministic random bit generator (DRBG) to generate a sequence of at least pseudo random numbers;
- and
- a data path directly connecting the array of memory cells and the DRBG, the data path including (i) a first path, having first and second endpoints, the first endpoint connecting a first circuit comprising a first set of memory cells at a first location in the array of memory cells, and the second endpoint connecting to the DRBG in the memory device, and (ii) a second path, having first and second endpoints, the first endpoint connecting the DRBG, and the second endpoint connecting to a second set of memory cells at a second location in the array of memory cells.
A memory device comprising:
- an array of memory cells;
- a physically unclonable function (PUF) circuit to provide PUF codes;
- a Galois/Counter Mode (GCM) circuit to generate a ciphertext (C) based upon received input including:
- a plaintext (P), a key (K), and an initialization vector (IV) comprising a concatenation of a counter output from an integer counter with an additional authenticated data (AAD) including the PUF code, as received by the GCM circuit;
- a first circuit connected to the GCM circuit and comprising a source of plaintext (P);
- and
- a second circuit connected to the GCM circuit and comprising an output target for ciphertext (C).
A method for utilizing physically unclonable function (PUF) codes to initialize encryption keys in a memory device having (i) an array of memory cells, and (ii) a deterministic random bit generator (DRBG), interconnected by a data path, the method comprising:
- applying via a first path, a PUF code to a deterministic random bit generator (DRBG), the first path having first and second endpoints, the first endpoint connecting a first circuit comprising a first set of memory cells at a first location in an array of memory cells, and the second endpoint connecting to the DRBG in the memory device, and
- applying via a second path, a pseudorandom number sequence generated by the DRBG to a second set of memory cells at a second location in the array of memory cells, the second path having first and second endpoints, the first endpoint connecting the DRBG, and the second endpoint connecting to the second set of memory cells at a second location in the array of memory cells.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.