Abstract
In this paper, we present an infrared microscopy based approach for structures’ location in integrated circuits, to automate their secure characterization. The use of an infrared sensor is the key device for internal integrated circuit inspection. Two main issues are addressed. The first concerns the scan of integrated circuits using a motorized optical system composed of an infrared uncooled camera combined with an optical microscope. An automated system is required to focus the conductive tracks under the silicon layer. It is solved by an autofocus system analyzing the infrared images through a discrete polynomial image transform which allows an accurate features detection to build a focus metric robust against specific image degradation inherent to the acquisition context. The second issue concerns the location of structures to be characterized on the conductive tracks. Dealing with a large amount of redundancy and noise, a graph-matching method is presented—discriminating graph labels are developed to overcome the redundancy, while a flexible assignment optimizer solves the inexact matching arising from noises on graphs. The resulting automated location system brings reproducibility for secure characterization of integrated systems, besides accuracy and time speed increase.
Highlights
Specialized cameras embed an indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) sensor that operates in the Short-Wave Infrared (SWIR) wavelength range from 900 nm to 1700 nm, making it possible to see through the silicon substrates of Integrated Circuit (IC)
This paper proposes state-of-the-art methods, compatible with infrared microscopy constraints, for automating structure recognition in an integrated circuit for the secure characterization process
We proposed a framework that uses different tools to scan conductive tracks in an integrated circuit and locate the patterns to be characterized
Summary
Integrated Circuit (IC) (a glossary is present at the end of this paper) are electronic components used in many fields such as wearable technologies and IoT (Internet of Things) The body of these components is made of highly pure silicon, doped with several materials to create a functional network of electronic parts. Specialized cameras embed an indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) sensor that operates in the Short-Wave Infrared (SWIR) wavelength range from 900 nm to 1700 nm, making it possible to see through the silicon substrates of IC. This kind of camera is widely used in the semiconductor industry as it allows defect detection (among others). We used such an infrared vision system for the particular purpose of characterizing secure IC through physical hacking attempts
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