Implementing physically unclonable function (PUF) utilizing EDRAM memory cell capacitance variation

A design structure embodied in a machine readable medium used in a design process, the design structure comprising:

• an embedded dynamic random access memory (EDRAM) circuit tangibly embodied in the machine readable medium used in the design process, said circuit for implementing a physically unclonable function (PUF), said EDRAM circuit comprising:
• a first EDRAM memory cell including a memory cell true storage capacitor;
• a first EDRAM memory cell including a memory cell true storage capacitor;
• a second EDRAM memory cell including a memory cell complement storage capacitor;
• a random variation of memory cell capacitance included in said memory cell true storage capacitor and said memory cell complement storage capacitor being used to implement the physically unclonable function;
• each of said first and second EDRAM memory cells being connected to differential inputs to a sense amplifier;
• said first and second EDRAM memory cells being written to zero (0) and said first and second EDRAM memory cells being differentially sensed and the difference being amplified to consistently read the same random data, wherein the design structure, when read and used in the manufacture of a semiconductor chip produces a chip comprising said circuit.

A method for implementing a physically unclonable function (PUF) using an embedded dynamic random access memory (EDRAM) circuit comprising:

• providing a memory cell true storage capacitor included in a first EDRAM memory cell;
• providing a memory cell complement storage capacitor included in a second EDRAM memory cell;
• using a random variation of memory cell capacitance included in said memory cell true storage capacitor and said memory cell complement storage capacitor to implement the physically unclonable function;
• connecting each of said first and second EDRAM memory cells to differential inputs to a sense amplifier;
• writing said first and second EDRAM memory cells to zero and differentially sensing said first and second EDRAM memory cells and amplifying the difference to consistently read the same random data.