Bulk thinning detector

A method, comprising:

• providing a bulk of a semiconductor device comprising a bulk material characterized by a potential designated as ground for the semiconductor device;
• fabricating a bulk thinning detector that is connected to the ground, including:
• forming a trench from a top of the bulk to a depth or range of depths that is less than a depth of the bulk, by removing a part of the bulk material,
• depositing one or more materials along inner surfaces of the trench,
• removing the deposited one or more materials from a bottom inner surface of the trench, and
• depositing one or more electrical conducting materials in the trench, a portion of the one or more electrical conducting materials being contiguous with a part of the bulk material that is underneath the trench;
• and
• connecting the bulk thinning detector in a circuit for detecting whether there is backside thinning of the semiconductor device, the circuit being adapted to detect whether there is backside thinning by detecting whether at least one of:
• the bulk thinning detector is disconnected from the ground, or there is a change in resistance of the bulk thinning detector.

A system comprising:

• a semiconductor device comprising:
• a bulk, the bulk comprising a bulk material characterized by a potential designated as a ground for the semiconductor device, the bulk further comprising a bulk thinning detector being a section of the bulk that includes one or more electrical conducting materials, wherein the bulk thinning detector is adapted to be connected to the ground when a part of the bulk material is underneath and contiguous with a portion of the one or more electrical conducting materials in the section,
• one or more electronic components in at least one active layer of the semiconductor device, the one or more electronic components and the bulk thinning detector being included in a circuit, and
• one or more other electronic components for performing at least one function;
• and
• a power source,
• wherein the circuit is adapted, when the power source supplies power to the semiconductor device, to operate and detect at least one of:
• that the bulk thinning detector is connected to the ground, that the bulk thinning detector is disconnected from the ground, that a resistance of the bulk thinning detector is unchanged, or that the resistance of the bulk thinning detector is changed.