Freescale Semiconductor,inc.

Nxp USA, Inc.

Fabio Duarte De Martin

Alfredo Olmos

Andre Luis Vilas Boas

Fabio De Lacerda

Sanjay Kumar Wadhwa

André Luis Vilas Boas

André L R Mansano

Guilherme Godoi

Andre Luis L Vilas Boas

An apparatus embodiment includes an integrated circuit (IC) and breach-detection circuitry. The IC includes data storage circuitry, a power grid configured to distribute power to the data storage circuitry, and a plurality of nodes distributed over at least one sensitive region of the IC. The breach-detection circuitry monitors power grid integrity at the at least one sensitive region of the IC and detects an event indicative of a breach by an external probe at a portion of the at least one sensitive region in response to floating node detection or a change in voltage at one of the plurality of nodes.

Breach detection in integrated circuits

A test structure () in an integrated circuit () includes a probe pad () disposed at a surface of a die () of the integrated circuit, a transmission gate () for connecting portions of an electronic circuit within the integrated circuit in response to a momentary signal applied to the probe pad, a first inverter () having an input coupled to the probe pad and having an output coupled to a control input of the transmission gate, and a second inverter () having an input coupled to an output of the first inverter and having an output coupled to another control input of the transmission gate. The output of the second inverter is coupled to the input of the first inverter. Upon power-up, the transmission gate is open. After the momentary signal is applied to the probe pad, the transmission gate closes and remains closed until power is disconnected.

Test structure activated by probe needle

Systems and methods for low-power voltage tamper detection are described. In some embodiments, an integrated circuit may include source-follower circuitry configured to produce a scaled down supply voltage. The integrated circuit may also include undervoltage detection circuitry coupled to the source-follower circuitry, the undervoltage detection circuitry configured to output a first signal having a first logic value if the scaled down supply voltage is greater than a low threshold voltage or a second logic value if the scaled down supply voltage is smaller than the low threshold voltage. Additionally or alternatively, the integrated circuit may include overvoltage detection circuitry coupled to the source-follower circuitry, the overvoltage detection circuitry configured to output a second signal having the first logic value if the scaled down supply voltage is smaller than a high threshold voltage or the second logic value if the scaled down supply voltage is greater than the high threshold voltage.

Low-power voltage tamper detection

An integrated circuit probing structure () is provided for evaluating functional circuitry (), such as a slow slew-rate square wave signal from a low power circuit, where the probing structure includes two or more probe pads () for testing the functional circuitry which are formed to be electrically separate from one another, and a probe test circuit () connected to the functional circuitry () for conveying a signal from the functional circuitry to a probe needle () only when the probe needle () electrically connects the two or more probe pads ().

Probing structure for evaluation of slow slew-rate square wave signals in low power circuits

A process of forming an electronic device can include forming a capacitor dielectric layer over a base region, wherein the base region includes a base semiconductor material, forming a gate dielectric layer over a substrate, forming a capacitor electrode over the capacitor dielectric layer, forming a gate electrode over the gate dielectric layer, and forming an input terminal and an output terminal to the capacitor electrode. The input terminal and the output terminal can be spaced apart from each other and are connected to different components within the electronic device. A filter can include the base region, the capacitor dielectric layer, and the capacitor electrode. A transistor structure can include the gate dielectric layer and the gate electrode. An electronic device can include a low-pass filter and a transistor structure, such as an n-channel transistor or a p-channel transistor.

Process of forming an electronic device including a resistor-capacitor filter

A regulator () for a charge pump () includes a clock amplitude modulator () that changes voltage of a clock signal used in operation of the charge pump in response to changes in magnitude of output voltage of the change pump. The clock amplitude modulator is powered by an output of an auxiliary circuit (). The output of the auxiliary circuit is at a higher voltage than an input voltage of the charge pump. A maximum amplitude of the voltage of the clock signal is higher than the input voltage of the charge pump.

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Campinas, Brazil

Fabio Duarte De Martin