# US 2019/0171850 A1 · Apparatus and method for generating identification key > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0171850 A1 - Document ID: US20190171850A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/266,168 - Filed: 2019-02-04 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2010-12-09 - Assignees: ICTK Holdings Co., Ltd. - Applicants: ICTK Holdings Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Byong Deok CHOI; Dong Kyue KIM; Tae Wook KIM - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190171850A1 ## CPC - G06F 21/73: by creating or determining hardware identification, e.g. serial numbers - G06F 21/70: Protecting specific internal or peripheral components, in which the protection of a component leads to protection of the entire computer - G06F 21/86: Secure or tamper-resistant housings - H04L 9/0861: {Generation of secret information including derivation or calculation of cryptographic keys or passwords} - G06F 7/588: {Random number generators, i.e. based on natural stochastic processes} - G09C 1/00: Apparatus or methods whereby a given sequence of signs, e.g. an intelligible text, is transformed into an unintelligible sequence of signs by transposing the signs or groups of signs or by replacing them by others according to a predetermined system (cryptographic typewriters G09C3/00) - H04L 9/0866: {involving user or device identifiers, e.g. serial number, physical or biometrical information, DNA, hand-signature or measurable physical characteristics} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - G09C: CIPHERING OR DECIPHERING APPARATUS FOR CRYPTOGRAPHIC OR OTHER PURPOSES INVOLVING THE NEED FOR SECRECY ## Abstract Provided is an apparatus for generating an identification key by a probabilistic determination of a short occurring between nodes constituting a circuit, by violating a design rule provided during a semiconductor manufacturing process. The identification key generating apparatus may include an identification key generator to generate an identification key based on whether a contact or a via used to electrically connect conductive layers in a semiconductor chip shorts the conductive layers, and an identification key reader to read the identification key by reading whether the contact or the via shorts the conductive layers. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus for generating an identification key, the apparatus comprising: an identification key generator to generate an identification key by a probabilistic determination of a short occurring between nodes constituting a circuit by violating design rules provided during a semiconductor manufacturing process, and an identification key reader to read the identification key by reading whether a short occurs between the nodes constituting the circuit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the nodes constituting the circuit correspond to conductive layers of a semiconductor, and the identification key generator generates the identification key based on whether a contact or a via formed between the conductive layers of the semiconductor shorts the conductive layers. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the identification key reader reads the identification key by reading whether the contact or the via shorts the conductive layers. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the contact or the via formed between the conductive layers of the semiconductor is configured to be smaller than a size determined by a design rule provided during a semiconductor manufacturing process. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the identification key generator has a size of the contact or the via to have a difference between a probability that the contact or the via formed between the conductive layers of the semiconductor shorts the conductive layers, and a probability that the contact or the via fails to short the conductive layers, to be within a predetermined error range. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the identification key generator has N unit configurations to generate a 1-bit digital value using a single contact or a single via connecting a pair of conductive layers, and thereby generates an N-bit identification key using the N unit constructions, N being a natural number. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising: an identification key processing unit to process the identification key by receiving an input of an N-bit digital value read by an identification key reader, by grouping N-bit digital values based on k bits, by comparing a first group and a second group among a plurality of the grouped groups, and by determining a digital value to be 1 when a value including k digital bits included in the first group is greater than a value including k digital bits included in the second group, the digital value representing the first group and the second group, and k being a natural number. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The apparatus of claim 7, wherein, when the value including the k digital bits included in the first group is equal to the value including the k digital bits included in the second group, the identification key processing unit determines the digital value representing the first group and the second group to be one of 1 and 0, or fails to determine the digital value representing the first group or the second group, selectively based on settings. ### Claim 9 An apparatus for generating an identification key, the apparatus comprising: an identification key generator having a spacing between conductive layers of a semiconductor, the identification key generator to generate an identification key based on a probability of a short occurring between the conductive layers of the semiconductor; and an identification key reader to read the identification key by reading whether a short occurs between the conductive layers, wherein the spacing between the conductive layers of the semiconductor is set to a size violating a design rule provided during a semiconductor manufacturing process. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the identification key generator has the spacing between the conductive layers of the semiconductor to have a difference between a probability of a short occurring between the conductive layers of the semiconductor, and a probability of a short failing to occur between the conductive layers of the semiconductor, to be within a predetermined error range. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the identification key generator has N pairs of conductive layers having the same spacing, wherein each of the N pairs of the conductive layers generates a 1-bit digital value based on whether a short occurs between the conductive layers, and thus, generates an N-bit identification key, N being a natural number. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising: an identification key processing unit to process the identification key by receiving an input of the N-bit digital value read by an identification key reader, by grouping N-bit digital values based on k units, by comparing a first group and a second group among a plurality of the grouped groups, and by determining a digital value to be 1 when a value including k digital bits included in the first group is greater than a value including k digital bits included in the second group, the digital value representing the first group and the second group, and k being a natural number. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The apparatus of claim 12, wherein, when the value including the k digital bits included in the first group is equal to the value including the k digital bits included in the second group, the identification key processing unit determines the digital value representing the first group and the second group to be one of 1 and 0, or fails to determine the digital value representing the first group or the second group, selectively based on settings. ### Claim 14 A method of generating an identification key, the method comprising: generating an identification key by a probabilistic determination of a probability of a short occurring between nodes constituting a circuit by violating a design rule provided during a semiconductor manufacturing process; and reading the identification key by reading whether a short occurs between the nodes constituting the circuit. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the nodes constituting the circuit correspond to conductive layers of a semiconductor, and the generating of the identification key generates the identification key based on whether a contact or a via formed between the conductive layers of the semiconductor shorts the conductive layers. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the reading of the identification key comprises reading whether the contact or the via shorts the conductive layers. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the contact or the via formed between the conductive layers of the semiconductor is configured to be less than a size determined by a design rule provided during a semiconductor manufacturing process. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the generating of the identification key sets a size of the contact or the via to have a difference between a probability that the contact or the via formed between the conductive layers of the semiconductor shorts the conductive layers, and a probability that the contact or the via fails to short the conductive layers, to be within a predetermined error range. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the generating of the identification key uses N unit configurations to generate a 1-bit digital value using a single contact or a single via to connect a single pair of conductive layers, and generates an N-bit identification key using the N unit configurations, N being a natural number. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising: processing an identification key to process the identification key by receiving an input of an N-bit digital value read in the reading of the identification key, by grouping N-bit digital values based on k units, by comparing a first group and a second group among a plurality of the grouped groups, and by determining a digital value to be 1 when a value including k digital bits included in the first group is greater than a value including k digital bits included in the second group, the digital value representing the first group and the second group, and k being a natural number. ### Claim at position 21 21-27. (canceled)