Combatting IC counterfeiting using secure chip odometers

Abstract

Integrated circuit counterfeiting is a significant and growing problem for electronics manufacturers, system integrators, and end users. The widespread prevalence of counterfeit ICs in the manufacturing supply chain raises significant security and reliability concerns. To combat IC counterfeiting, a secure chip odometer was designed to provide ICs with both a secure gauge of use/age and an authentication of provenance enabling simple, secure, robust differentiation between genuine and counterfeit parts. The secure chip odometers employ chained one-shot binary aging elements (BAEs) that use intentional accelerated device aging to measure use and age of the chip. A prototype secure odometer was taped out on a 1.2mm × 1.7mm testchip in a 65nm bulk CMOS process as a proof-of-concept.