International Business Machines Corporation

Globalfoundries Inc.

Dimitris P Ioannou

John Atkinson Fifield

Chandrasekharan Kothandaraman

Wagdi William Abadeer

Tom C Lee

Cathryn Jeanne Christiansen

Steven W Mittl

David G Brochu, Jr

Travis S Merrill

Methods and devices for providing unclonable chip identification are provided. An integrated circuit device includes: a first transistor having a first gate oxide thickness; a second transistor having a second gate oxide thickness different than the first gate oxide thickness; and a reading circuit connected to the first transistor and the second transistor, wherein the reading circuit reads a difference in threshold voltage between the first transistor and the second transistor.

CMOS device with reading circuit

A method establishes an initial voltage in a ring oscillator and a logic circuit of an integrated circuit device. Following this, the method enables the operating state of the ring oscillator. After enabling the operating state of the ring oscillator, the method steps up to a stressing voltage in the ring oscillator. The initial voltage is approximately one-half the stressing voltage. The stressing voltage creates operating-level stress within the ring oscillator. The method measures the operating-level frequency within the ring oscillator using an oscilloscope (after stepping up to the stressing voltage).

Measuring bias temperature instability induced ring oscillator frequency degradation

A system and a method for measuring temperature within an operating circuit use a Wheatstone bridge within a temperature sensing circuit. One of the resistors in the Wheatstone bridge is a thermally sensitive resistive material layer within the operating circuit. The other three resistors are thermally isolated from the operating circuit. Particular configurations of NFET and PFET devices are used to provide enhanced measurement sensitivity within the temperature sensing circuit that includes the Wheatstone bridge.

Thermal sensor for semiconductor circuits

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South Burlington, VT, United States of America

Dimitris P Ioannou