A physical unclonable function, or PUF, is a "digital fingerprint" that serves as a unique identity for a semiconductor device such as a microprocessor. PUFs are based on physical variations which occur naturally during semiconductor manufacturing, and which make it possible to differentiate between otherwise identical semiconductors.
PUFs are usually utilized in cryptography. A physical unclonable function (sometimes also called physically unclonable function) is a physical entity that is embodied in a physical structure. Today, PUFs are usually implemented in integrated circuits and are typically used in applications with high security requirements.
The chip's unique birthmark iUnique technology is based on the physical non-cloning technology PUF, which uses the random characteristics of each chip to generate a random key or security ID, which is the "fetal birthmark" unique to each chip, and addresses the root of trust of the system.
PUF
Overview
Key Features
- Root of trust, unclonable, chip dependent ID with unique static and dynamic signature behavior in each chip
- Process dependent, fully invisible, root of trust
- Support 0.18um, 0.13um, 55nm, 40nm, 28nm, 14nm
- Small Area: 0.02mm2 (140um x 140um) @SMIC 55nm
- Low power consumption: 50uA for read and 0.1uA static
- PUF size: 64 to 256 bits (could extend to 1K bit)
- No need for special mask layer, single core voltage supply
- Can be used in secure wireless communication, network authentication, device pairing, secure IoT, secure flash storage, bank card/sim card etc
- Large inter-hamming-duistance / Small intra-hamming-distance
Technical Specifications
Foundry, Node
Samsung 14/10/8nm, GF 55/14/12nm, SMIC 55/14nm, TSMC 16/12nm, HLMC 28nm
GLOBALFOUNDRIES
In Production:
12nm
,
14nm
LPP
Silicon Proven: 55nm LPX
Silicon Proven: 55nm LPX
SMIC
Pre-Silicon:
14nm
Silicon Proven: 55nm LL
Silicon Proven: 55nm LL
Samsung
In Production:
14nm
Pre-Silicon: 8nm , 10nm
Pre-Silicon: 8nm , 10nm
TSMC
In Production:
12nm
,
16nm
Related IPs
- Fully-integrated 256-bit Physically Unclonable Function (PUF) with embedded reliability check
- Fully Digital Physically Unclonable Function (PUF) - PQC Ready
- Quantum-Driven Hardware Root-of-Trust - Physical Unclonable Function (PUF)
- PUF-based Hardware Root of Trust
- PUF-based True Random Number Generator
- PUFuid - PUF-based Unique Identity