Back to results
US 8,819,609 B2Granted
Countermeasure method and device for protecting data circulating in an electronic microcircuit
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics (Rousset) SAS
InventorsMathieu Lisart, Fabrice Marinet
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The disclosure relates to a countermeasure method in an electronic microcircuit, comprising successive process phases executed by a circuit of the microcircuit, and adjusting a power supply voltage between power supply and ground terminals of the circuit, as a function of a random value generated for the process phase, at each process phase executed by the circuit.
Claims24
A method of making an electronic microcircuit, comprising:
- forming a processing circuit configured to execute successive process phases, the forming including:
- forming in a substrate an isolated well electrically isolated from an underlying portion of the substrate;
- and
- forming a power supply terminal and a ground terminal of the processing circuit, wherein at least one of the power supply and ground terminals is formed in the isolated well;
- and
- forming a power supply circuit configured to, at or near each of the successive process phases, dynamically readjust a power supply voltage between the power supply and ground terminals of the processing circuit as a function of a randomly varying signal, wherein forming the power supply circuit includes forming the power supply circuit configured to adjust the power supply voltage between the power supply and ground terminals of the processing circuit in a determined range as a function of:
- variations of the power supply voltage resulting from variations of performances of the processing circuit linked to variations of an ambient temperature and variations of manufacturing conditions of the microcircuit,
- variations of the power supply voltage and ground voltages of the microcircuit as a function of an extent of activity of the microcircuit, and
- minimum voltages allowing a switching of N-channel and P-channel transistors of the microcircuit to be performed.
6 more elements
A microcircuit comprising:
- a first processing circuit configured to execute first successive process phases and including power supply and ground terminals, wherein at least one of the power supply and ground terminals is formed in an isolated well of a substrate, the isolated well being electrically isolated from an underlying portion of the substrate;
- and
- a first power supply circuit coupled to the first processing circuit and configured to, at or near each of the processing phases, dynamically readjust a power supply voltage between the power supply and ground terminals of the processing circuit as a function of a random, first varying signal, wherein the first power supply circuit includes:
- a comparator having first and second input terminals and an output terminal, the first input terminal being configured to receive a reference voltage;
- first and second resistors coupled between the power supply terminal and the output terminal of the comparator, the first resistor being a variable transistor with a control terminal, and the first and second resistors being coupled to each other at the second input terminal of the comparator;
- and
- a random signal generator coupled to the control terminal of the first resistor and configured to generate a random signal to randomly vary a resistance of the first resistor.
4 more elements
A microcircuit portable device, comprising:
- a support;
- and
- a microcircuit carried by the support and including:
- a first processing circuit configured to execute first successive process phases and including power supply and ground terminals, wherein at least one of the power supply and ground terminals is formed in an isolated well of a substrate, the isolated well being electrically isolated from an underlying portion of the substrate;
- and
- a first power supply circuit coupled to the first processing circuit and configured to, for each of the processing phases, adjust a power supply voltage between the power supply and ground terminals of the processing circuit as a function of a first varying signal, wherein the first power supply circuit includes:
- a comparator having first and second input terminals and an output terminal, the first input terminal being configured to receive a reference voltage;
- first and second resistors coupled between the power supply terminal and the output terminal of the comparator, the first resistor being a variable transistor with a control terminal, and the first and second resistors being coupled to each other at the second input terminal of the comparator;
- and
- a random signal generator coupled to the control terminal of the first resistor and configured to generate a random signal to randomly vary a resistance of the first resistor.
7 more elements
A microcircuit comprising:
- a first processing circuit configured to execute first successive process phases and including power supply and ground terminals, wherein at least one of the power supply and ground terminals is formed in an isolated well of a substrate, the isolated well being electrically isolated from an underlying portion of the substrate;
- and
- a first power supply circuit coupled to the first processing circuit and configured to, for each of the processing phases, adjust a power supply voltage between the power supply and ground terminals of the processing circuit as a function of a first varying signal, wherein the first power supply circuit includes:
- a comparator having first and second input terminals and an output terminal, the first input terminal being configured to receive a reference voltage;
- first and second resistors coupled between the power supply terminal and the output terminal of the comparator, the first resistor being a variable transistor with a control terminal, and the first and second resistors being coupled to each other at the second input terminal of the comparator;
- and
- a random signal generator coupled to the control terminal of the first resistor and configured to generate a random signal to randomly vary a resistance of the first resistor.
4 more elements
A microcircuit comprising:
- a first processing circuit configured to execute first successive process phases and including power supply and ground terminals, wherein at least one of the power supply and ground terminals is formed in an isolated well of a substrate, the isolated well being electrically isolated from an underlying portion of the substrate;
- a first power supply circuit coupled to the first processing circuit and configured to, for each of the processing phases, adjust a power supply voltage between the power supply and ground terminals of the processing circuit as a function of a first varying signal;
- and
- microcircuit power supply and ground terminals, wherein the first power supply circuit includes:
- a comparator having first and second input terminals and an output terminal, the second input terminal being coupled to the output terminal;
- a variable resistor and a current source coupled between the microcircuit power supply and ground terminals, the variable resistor having a control terminal, and the variable resistor and current source being coupled to each other at the first input terminal of the comparator;
- and
- a random signal generator coupled to the control terminal of the variable resistor and configured to generate a random signal to randomly vary a resistance of the variable resistor.
5 more elements
A microcircuit comprising:
- a first processing circuit configured to execute first successive process phases and including power supply and ground terminals, wherein at least one of the power supply and ground terminals is formed in an isolated well of a substrate, the isolated well being electrically isolated from an underlying portion of the substrate;
- a first power supply circuit coupled to the first processing circuit and configured to, for each of the processing phases, adjust a power supply voltage between the power supply and ground terminals of the processing circuit as a function of a first varying signal;
- and
- microcircuit power supply and ground terminals, wherein the first power supply circuit includes:
- a comparator having first and second input terminals and an output terminal, the first input terminal being coupled to the output terminal;
- a first resistor, a second resistor, and a first transistor coupled in series between the microcircuit power supply and ground terminals, the first resistor being a variable transistor with a control terminal, and the first and second resistors being coupled to each other at the second input terminal of the comparator, the first transistor having a control terminal;
- a random signal generator coupled to the control terminal of the variable resistor and configured to generate a random signal to randomly vary a resistance of the variable resistor;
- a second transistor coupled between the microcircuit power supply terminal and the power supply terminal of the first processing circuit, the second transistor having a control terminal;
- and
- a voltage step up circuit coupled between the output of the comparator and the control terminals of the first and second transistors.
7 more elements
A microcircuit portable device, comprising:
- a support;
- and
- a microcircuit carried by the support and including:
- a first processing circuit configured to execute first successive process phases and including power supply and ground terminals, wherein at least one of the power supply and ground terminals is formed in an isolated well of a substrate, the isolated well being electrically isolated from an underlying portion of the substrate;
- a first power supply circuit coupled to the first processing circuit and configured to, for each of the processing phases, adjust a power supply voltage between the power supply and ground terminals of the processing circuit as a function of a first varying signal;
- and
- microcircuit power supply and ground terminals, wherein the first power supply circuit includes:
- a comparator having first and second input terminals and an output terminal, the second input terminal being coupled to the output terminal;
- a variable resistor and a current source coupled between the microcircuit power supply and ground terminals, the variable resistor having a control terminal, and the variable resistor and current source being coupled to each other at the first input terminal of the comparator;
- and
- a random signal generator coupled to the control terminal of the variable resistor and configured to generate a random signal to randomly vary a resistance of the variable resistor.
8 more elements
A microcircuit portable device, comprising:
- a support;
- and
- a microcircuit carried by the support and including:
- a first processing circuit configured to execute first successive process phases and including power supply and ground terminals, wherein at least one of the power supply and ground terminals is formed in an isolated well of a substrate, the isolated well being electrically isolated from an underlying portion of the substrate;
- a first power supply circuit coupled to the first processing circuit and configured to, for each of the processing phases, adjust a power supply voltage between the power supply and ground terminals of the processing circuit as a function of a first varying signal;
- and
- microcircuit power supply and ground terminals, wherein the first power supply circuit includes:
- a comparator having first and second input terminals and an output terminal, the first input terminal being coupled to the output terminal;
- a first resistor, a second resistor, and a first transistor coupled in series between the microcircuit power supply and ground terminals, the first resistor being a variable transistor with a control terminal, and the first and second resistors being coupled to each other at the second input terminal of the comparator, the first transistor having a control terminal;
- a random signal generator coupled to the control terminal of the variable resistor and configured to generate a random signal to randomly vary a resistance of the variable resistor;
- a second transistor coupled between the microcircuit power supply terminal and the power supply terminal of the first processing circuit, the second transistor having a control terminal;
- and
- a voltage step up circuit coupled between the output of the comparator and the control terminals of the first and second transistors.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.