A 65-nm CMOS 3.2-to-86 Mb/s 2.58 pJ/bit Highly Digital True-Random-Number Generator With Integrated De-Correlation and Bias Correction

Abstract

This letter presents a highly digital, technology scalable, and energy-efficient cryptographic-quality true random number generator (TRNG). The proposed architecture presents a balanced approach to TRNG design, relying on a simpler, noncryptographic quality physical random number generator ( <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">phy</i> RNG) combined with energy-efficient integrated post-processing to de-correlate and de-bias the <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">phy</i> RNG bitstream. Operating at a supply voltage ( <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${V}_{\text {dd}})$ </tex-math></inline-formula> of 0.53 V, a 65-nm CMOS prototype of the TRNG achieves a peak energy-efficiency of 2.58 pJ/bit. TRNG bitstreams pass all NIST randomness benchmarks over a <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${V}_{\text {dd}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> range of 0.5–1.05 V across −20 °C–100 °C, demonstrating its efficacy and robust operation over a wide <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${V}_{\text {dd}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and temperature range.