# US 2021/0242142 A1 · Semiconductor device including physical unclonable function

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- Number: US 2021/0242142 A1
- Document ID: US20210242142A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/781,196
- Filed: 2020-02-04
- Published: 2021-08-05
- Earliest claimed: 2020-02-04
- Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation
- Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation
- Inventors: Bahman Hekmatshoartabari; Takashi Ando; Alexander Reznicek; Nanbo Gong
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210242142A1

## CPC

- H10W 42/40: protecting against tampering, e.g. unauthorised inspection or reverse engineering
- H10D 1/684: {the dielectrics comprising multiple layers, e.g. comprising buffer layers, seed layers or gradient layers}
- H10P 14/27: {using selective deposition, e.g. simultaneous growth of monocrystalline and non-monocrystalline semiconductor materials}
- H10P 14/6339: {deposition by cyclic CVD, e.g. ALD, ALE or pulsed CVD}
- H10W 20/042: {the barrier, adhesion or liner layers being seed or nucleation layers}
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

Fabrication of a physically unclonable function containing semiconductor device by fabricating a first electrode of the semiconductor device, randomly nucleating material regions upon a surface of the first electrode and forming a second electrode upon the first electrode and at least a portion of the randomly nucleated regions.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A semiconductor device comprising:
a first electrode;
a second electrode disposed adjacent to and in electrical contact with the first electrode; and
a barrier element disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode;
wherein the barrier element comprises randomly nucleated regions.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the first and second electrodes is disposed in a pattern.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The semiconductor device according to claim 2 wherein the pattern includes a periodic pattern.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device according to claim 1 wherein the barrier element comprises an insulating material.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the barrier element forms a rectifying junction with at least one of the first and second electrodes.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second electrodes is connected to a selector device.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The semiconductor device according to claim 6, wherein the selector device includes at least one of a diode, transistor and threshold switch.

### Claim 8

A semiconductor device comprising a first electrode, randomly nucleated material regions disposed upon the first electrode, and a second electrode disposed in a pattern in electrical communication with the first electrode and the randomly nucleated material regions.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein the pattern comprises a periodic pattern.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein the randomly nucleated material regions comprise an insulating material.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein the randomly nucleated material regions form a rectifying junction with at least one of the first and second electrodes.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the first and second electrodes is connected to a selector device.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein the selector device includes at least one of a diode, transistor and threshold switch.

### Claim 14

A method of fabricating a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
fabricating a first electrode of the semiconductor device;
randomly nucleating material regions upon a surface of the first electrode; and
forming a second electrode upon the first electrode and at least a portion of the randomly nucleated material regions.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of fabricating a semiconductor device according to claim 14, wherein the randomly nucleated material regions comprise an insulating material.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method of fabricating a semiconductor device according to claim 14, wherein at least one of the first and second electrodes comprises a pattern.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The method of fabricating a semiconductor device according to claim 14, further comprising forming a selector device in electrical communication with the first and second electrodes.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The method of fabricating a semiconductor device according to claim 14, wherein randomly nucleating material regions comprises atomic layer deposition of a high-k dielectric material.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The method of fabricating a semiconductor device according to claim 14, wherein randomly nucleating material regions comprises flash deposition of an insulating material.

### Claim 20 (depends on 14)

The method of fabricating a semiconductor device according to claim 14, wherein randomly nucleating material regions comprises epitaxial growth of a doped semiconductor.