US 8,410,583 B2 · Security chip

Abstract

A security chip is disclosed. The security chip includes: a substrate; an integrated circuit disposed on the substrate, the integrated circuit including circuit elements, circuit interconnect layers connecting the circuit elements together, and interlayer contacts supporting the circuit interconnect layers; a shield to at least partially shield the integrated circuit; and at least one lightwell in the shield and the integrated circuit, wherein each lightwell has a closed shape formed from parts of the circuit interconnect layers and interlayer contacts, wherein no exploitable voltage can be measured on the parts of the circuit interconnect layers and interlayer contacts, and wherein each lightwell forms a path for light to penetrate to the substrate preventing the light from reaching the circuit elements. Related apparatus and methods are also disclosed.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A security chip comprising:

a substrate;
an integrated circuit disposed on said substrate, said integrated circuit comprising circuit elements, circuit interconnect layers connecting said circuit elements together in one or more metal layers, and interlayer contacts interconnecting said one or more metal layers and said circuit elements;
a shield provided over said integrated circuit to at least partially shield said integrated circuit from light;
and
at least one lightwell in said shield and said integrated circuit forming a path for light to penetrate through said shield to said substrate, wherein each lightwell has a closed shape formed by lightwell walls, said lightwell walls being formed in said integrated circuit from parts of said one or more metal layers and interlayer contacts on which no exploitable voltage can be measured when said parts are probed during an attack on said security chip.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Security chip

Life of this patent

Security chip

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims11