USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Andrew Mark Howard

Adam Duncan

Matthew J Kay

Matthew Gadlage

James David Ingalls

Brett J Hamilton

Matthew John Gadladge

Various embodiments include providing a MTJ-based LUT and adding a system that short circuits or causes dielectric layer breakdown of selected MTJ junctions to permanently finalize a desired logic state configuration of selected MTJs that is read out by the LUT. Additional embodiments disable dielectric layer breakdown or short circuit control circuits to prevent further alterations to MTJ that have not had their dielectric layers broken down or shorted out. A control system then alters reading out the MTJ-based LUT to sense original higher and lower resistance values of un-shorted/altered MTJs as a higher resistance state and a shorted or dielectric layer that has been broken down as a lower resistance state. This combines the flexibility of a multiple-time programmable LUT-based FPGA with the security and reliability of a one-time programmable LUT-based FPGA which has characteristics of a fixed logic non-programmable integrated circuit or application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

Non-volatile multiple time programmable integrated circuit system with selective conversion to one time programmable or permanent configuration bit programming capabilities and related methods

Systems and methods for detecting counterfeit integrated circuits are provided. One exemplary embodiment of a method can include: providing an integrated circuit for testing; and characterizing capacitive and inductive loading of the integrated circuit power for a specified frequency range; wherein the characterizing step further comprises applying a low level alternating current to a power pin while measuring for capacitance characterization conditions created by the integrated circuit's internal capacitance and inductance responses, wherein by sweeping the alternating current signal across a specified frequency range one or more capacitance related device signature can be created and used to identify a component as originating from a trusted source or not. A system can include components and machine readable instructions for operating the components using exemplary methods. Exemplary embodiments can include automated systems that can also be used with the device signature on a production line or in a supply chain verification location.

Counterfeit microelectronics detection based on capacitive and inductive signatures

A method of improving radiation tolerance of floating gate memories is provided herein. Floating gate memories can include a floating gate transistor or a block of floating gate transistors. A floating gate transistor can include a semiconductor region, a source region, a drain region, a floating gate region, a tunnel oxide region, an oxide-nitride-oxide region, and a control gate region. A floating gate transistor or block of floating gate transistors can be written to multiple times in order to accumulate charge on one or more floating gate regions in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. When exposed to radiation, a floating gate region can retain its charge above a certain voltage threshold. A block of floating gate transistors can communicate with an external device where the external device can read a state of the block of floating gate transistors in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.

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Bloomington, IN, United States of America

Andrew Mark Howard