Method for PUF generation using variations in transistor threshold voltage and subthreshold leakage current

{
  "publication_number": "US11664258B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Method for PUF generation using variations in transistor threshold voltage and subthreshold leakage current",
  "abstract": "Disclosed is a physical unclonable function generator circuit and method. In one embodiment, a physical unclonable function (PUF) generator comprising: a plurality of PUF cells, wherein each of the plurality of PUF cells comprises a first MOS transistor and a second MOS transistor, wherein terminal S of the first MOS transistor is connected to terminal D of the second MOS transistor at a dynamic node, terminal D of the first MOS transistor is coupled to a first bus and terminal G of the first NMOS transistor is coupled to a second bus, and terminals S and G of the second NMOS transistor are coupled to ground; a plurality of dynamic flip-flop (DFF) circuits wherein each of the plurality of DFF circuits is coupled to each of the plurality of PUF cells respectively; a population count circuit coupled to the plurality of DFF circuits; and an evaluation logic circuit having an input coupled to the population count circuit and an output coupled to the plurality of DFF circuits.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A physical unclonable function (PUF) generator for generating a PUF signature, the PUF generator comprising: A plurality of PUF cells, wherein each of the plurality of PUF cells comprises five metal-oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistors, wherein a first and a second MOS transistors are configured to charge and discharge a first dynamic node, a third and a fourth MOS transistors are configured to charge a second dynamic node, and a fifth MOS transistor is configured to discharge the second dynamic node so as to reset the second dynamic node; a plurality of dynamic flip-flop (DFF) circuits wherein each of the plurality of DFF circuits is coupled to each of the plurality of PUF cells respectively, wherein the plurality of DFF circuits each is configured to monitoring a voltage level on the dynamic node on each of the plurality of PUF cells; a population count circuit coupled to the plurality of DFF circuits, wherein the population count circuit is configured to determine a first number of PUF cells having flipped logical states; and an evaluation logic circuit having an input coupled to the population count circuit and an output coupled to the plurality of DFF circuits, wherein the evaluation logic circuit is configured to compare the first number with at least half of a total number of PUF cells, wherein a PUF signature is generated when the number of PUF cells that are at the second logical state are equal to or higher than a predetermined number of PUF cells in the PUF generator.",
    "2. The PUF generator of claim 1, wherein a first, second and fifth MOS transistors each comprise a NMOS transistor.",
    "3. The PUF generator of claim 1, wherein a third and fourth MOS transistors each comprise a PMOS transistor.",
    "4. The PUF generator of claim 1, wherein the first MOS transistor is configured having a source terminal coupled to a drain terminal of the second MOS transistor at the first dynamic node, a drain coupled to a first bus, and a gate terminal coupled to a second bus.",
    "5. The PUF generator of claim 1, wherein the second MOS transistor is configured having a source and a gate terminal coupled to ground.",
    "6. The PUF generator of claim 1, wherein the third MOS transistor is configured having a drain terminal coupled to a first bus, a gate terminal coupled to a third bus, and a source terminal coupled to a drain terminal of a fourth MOS transistor.",
    "7. The PUF generator of claim 1, wherein the fourth MOS transistor is configured having a source terminal coupled to a drain terminal of the fifth MOS transistor at a second dynamic node, and a gate terminal coupled to the first dynamic node.",
    "8. The PUF generator of claim 1, wherein the fifth MOS transistor is configured having a gate terminal coupled a fourth bus, a source terminal coupled to ground.",
    "9. A method to configure a physical unclonable function (PUF) generator for generating a PUF signature, the method comprising: coupling a plurality of PUF cells to a plurality of dynamic flip-flop (DFF) circuits, and to a population counter and further to an evaluation logical circuit, wherein each of the plurality of PUF cells comprises five metal-oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistors, wherein a first and a second MOS transistors are configured to charge and discharge a first dynamic node, a third and a fourth MOS transistors are configured to charge a second dynamic node, and a fifth MOS transistor is configured to discharge the second dynamic node so as to reset the second dynamic node; charging a plurality of dynamic nodes in the plurality of PUF cells to a plurality of first voltages; discharging the plurality of dynamic nodes to a plurality of second voltages; monitoring each of the plurality of second voltages using corresponding DFF circuits; flipping logical states of the plurality of PUF cells from a first logical state to a second logical state when the second voltage becomes smaller than a third voltage; comparing a number of PUF cells having flipped logical states with half of a total number of PUF cells; and generating a PUF signature when the number of PUF cells having flipped logical states are more than half of the total number of PUF cells.",
    "10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first MOS transistor is configured having a source terminal coupled to a drain terminal of the second MOS transistor at the dynamic node, a drain coupled to a first bus, and a gate terminal coupled to a second bus.",
    "11. The method of claim 9, wherein the second MOS transistor is configured having a source and a gate terminal coupled to ground.",
    "12. The method of claim 9, wherein the first, second and fifth MOS transistors each comprise a NMOS transistor.",
    "13. The method of claim 9, wherein the third and fourth MOS transistors each comprise a PMOS transistor.",
    "14. The method of claim 9, wherein the third MOS transistor is configured having a drain terminal coupled to a first bus, a gate terminal coupled to a third bus, and a source terminal coupled to a drain terminal of a fourth MOS transistor.",
    "15. The method of claim 9, wherein the fourth MOS transistor is configured having a source terminal coupled to a drain terminal of the fifth MOS transistor at a second dynamic node, and a gate terminal coupled to the first dynamic node.",
    "16. The method of claim 9, wherein the fifth MOS transistor is configured having a gate terminal coupled a fourth bus, a source terminal coupled to ground.",
    "17. A physical unclonable function (PUF) generator comprising: a plurality of PUF cells; a plurality of dynamic flip-flop (DFF) circuits wherein each of the plurality of DFF circuits is coupled to each of the plurality of PUF cells respectively, wherein the plurality of DFF circuits each is configured to monitoring a voltage level on the dynamic node on each of the plurality of PUF cells; a population count circuit coupled to the plurality of DFF circuits, wherein the population count circuit is configured to determine a first number of PUF cells having flipped logical states from a first logical state to a second logical state; and an evaluation logic circuit having an input coupled to the population count circuit and an output coupled to the plurality of DFF circuits, wherein the evaluation logic circuit is configured to compare the first number with half of a total number of PUF cells, wherein a PUF signature is generated when the number of PUF cells that are at the second logical state are equal to or higher than a predetermined number of PUF cells in the PUF generator.",
    "18. The PUF generator of claim 17, wherein the population count circuit is configured to detect a number of PUF cells that are at the second logical state.",
    "19. The PUF generator of claim 17, wherein the evaluation logic circuit is further configured to compare the number of PUF cells that are at the second logical state to a total number of PUF cells in the PUF generator in order to generate a PUF signature.",
    "20. The PUF generator of claim 17, wherein: each of the plurality of PUF cells comprises five metal-oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistors, wherein a first and a second MOS transistors are configured to charge and discharge a first dynamic node, a third and a fourth MOS transistors are configured to charge a second dynamic node, and a fifth MOS transistor is configured to discharge the second dynamic node so as to reset the second dynamic node."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "With the increasing use of integrated circuits in electronic devices that provide different types of information for a variety of different applications, there has been an increasing need to adequately protect sensitive and/or critical information that may be stored within an electronic device to limit access to such information to only other devices that have permission to access. Some examples of such applications include the authentication of devices, protection of confidential information within a device, and securing a communication between two or more devices. It has become widely recognized that random number generators are fundamentally important in the computer age. A high quality random number generator to generate true random numbers is desirable for cryptographic applications. For example, true random numbers are used as an encryption key for encrypting information and messages.\n\nA physically unclonable function (PUF) generator is a physical structure generally within an integrated circuit that provides a number of corresponding outputs (e.g., responses) in response to inputs (e.g., challenges/requests) to the PUF generator. There are many different implementation approaches including delay-chain-based PUF generators and memory-based PUF generators. A memory-based PUF generator translates the variations in an array of memory devices, typically either SRAM (static random-access memory) or DRAM (dynamic random-access memory) devices, into a binary sequence.",
  "cpc": [
    "H10P 72/50",
    "B25J 11/0095",
    "B25J 9/1664",
    "B25J 9/1692",
    "G09C 1/00",
    "G11C 2029/4402",
    "G11C 2029/5002",
    "G11C 7/24",
    "G11C 8/12",
    "H01L 21/67265",
    "H01L 21/67386",
    "H01L 21/68",
    "H01L 21/681",
    "H04L 9/0866",
    "H04L 9/3247",
    "H04L 9/3278",
    "H10P 72/0608",
    "H10P 72/1922",
    "H10P 72/53",
    "Y04S 40/20"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "B25J 11/00",
    "B25J 9/16",
    "G06F 21/00",
    "H01L 21/67",
    "H01L 21/673",
    "H01L 21/68"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co TSMC Ltd"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Shih-Lien Linus Lu",
    "Cormac Michael O'CONNELL"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2021-06-04",
  "publication_date": "2023-05-30",
  "grant_date": "2023-05-30",
  "priority_date": "2017-11-14",
  "application_number": "US-202117339812-A",
  "family_id": "67347864",
  "cited_by_count": 0,
  "citations": [
    "US20120106235A1",
    "US20140218067A1",
    "US20170180140A1",
    "US20160285639A1",
    "US9966954B1"
  ]
}