Multi-Mode Micromechanical Resonant Tags for Traceability and Authentication Applications

Abstract

This paper reports, for the first time, on a novel ultra-miniaturized identification technology that enables non-cionable tags for a wide range of applications, ranging from consumer electronic systems to commercial goods and products. The new labeling technology is based on micromechanical resonators with spectral signatures composed from multiple resonance modes with high quality factors. Such a unique spectral signature defines the digital tag attributed to the resonant label. Benefitting from highly randomized variations induced by the microfabrication processing, an array of resonant labels can serve as a set of watermarks with a large entropy. Proof-of-concept array of resonant labels are implemented demonstrating 9 randomly distributed resonance modes in a ~20 MHz span. A unique digital translation procedure, based on the frequency and magnitude of resonance peaks, is developed yielding rigid digital tags with 14-bit length. The micromechanical resonant labels are measured over wide temperature variations and excitation powers to verify their consistency over several performance metrics including digital tag randomness, uniqueness and repeatability.