Research Bits: Apr. 14


Authentication for edge devices Researchers from the University of Hong Kong, Tsinghua University, and the Southern University of Science and Technology designed a privacy-preserving system for edge devices that combines physically unclonable functions and compute-in-memory. The Co-Located Authentication and Processing (CLAP) system integrates authentication and processing functions within ... » read more

The Competitive Advantage Of SRAM PUF Technology


By Vincent van der Leest and Geert-Jan Schrijen In the article from 2024, "SRAM PUF: The Secure Silicon Fingerprint", we explored the fundamentals of SRAM-based Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs) and their role as a secure, cost-effective, and scalable solution for cryptographic (root) key generation and storage. SRAM PUF technology leverages the unique physical properties of silicon to c... » read more

New Approaches To Limit Cyberattacks On Hardware


The number and value of cyberattacks on semiconductors is rising, but new approaches to designing and packaging chips could put a significant dent in those figures. Semiconductor-related cybersecurity attacks have multiplied more than six times since 2022, according to a report by cyber intelligence firm CloudSEK. These attacks have cost the semiconductor industry an estimated $1.05 billion ... » read more

Research Bits: July 7


3D NAND PUF Researchers from Seoul National University developed a new hardware security technology based on commercially available 3D NAND flash memory. The approach is an adaptation of physical unclonable functions (PUFs) with the ability to hide a security key under user data when not in use and reveal it only when needed. The same memory space used for storing security keys can be repurpos... » read more

Research Bits: Oct. 29


Micro-LED DUV maskless lithography Researchers from the University of Science and Technology of China, Anhui GaN Semiconductor, and Wuhan University developed a vertically integrated micro-LED array for deep ultraviolet (DUV) maskless photolithography. The team fabricated a DUV display integrated chip with 564 pixels-per-inch density that uses a three-dimensional vertically integrated devic... » read more

Research Bits: July 22


Sub-1nm gate Researchers from Korea's Institute for Basic Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Harvard University, and Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) found a method that enables epitaxial growth of 1D metallic materials with a width of less than 1 nm, which they used as a gate electrode of a miniaturized transistor. The team controlled the crystal structure of molyb... » read more

Addressing Quantum Computing Threats With SRAM PUFs


You’ve probably been hearing a lot lately about the quantum-computing threat to cryptography. If so, you probably also have a lot of questions about what this “quantum threat” is and how it will impact your cryptographic solutions. Let’s take a look at some of the most common questions about quantum computing and its impact on cryptography. What is a quantum computer? A quantum comput... » read more

Trusted Electronics: Current And Future Developments


In today’s world, we encounter electronics increasingly as complex hardware/software systems, such as those in vehicles, machines, and communication devices. These systems are characterized by dramatic increases in functionality in areas like environment sensing, stages of autonomy, and the installation of future updates. Developing and manufacturing such electronic systems today requires glo... » read more

Bug, Flaw, Or Cyberattack?


The lines between counterfeiting, security, and design flaws are becoming increasingly difficult to determine in advanced packages and process nodes, where the number of possible causes of unusual behavior grow exponentially with the complexity of a device. Strange behavior may be due to a counterfeit part, including one that contains a trojan. Or it may be the result of a cyberattack. It al... » read more

How Voltage-Controlled MRAM Devices Can Be Used To Create Unique Fingerprints Of Microelectronic Chips


A technical paper titled "Reconfigurable Physically Unclonable Functions Based on Nanoscale Voltage-Controlled Magnetic Tunnel Junctions" was published by researchers at Northwestern University, Western Digital Corporation, Fe Research Inc., and University of Messina. Abstract: "With the fast growth of the number of electronic devices on the internet of things (IoT), hardware-based securi... » read more

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