Hitachi, Ltd.

Tatsuya Nishihara

Kazuki Watanabe

Kenji Nagai

Ryouzou Yoshino

A semiconductor integrated circuit device is provided with an IC chip so as to prevent its circuits from malfunction when the IC chip is cracked. To detect chip cracks, a resistor R is disposed at the outer periphery of the area in which one wants to detect the chip crack. If the chip is cracked and the resistance value of the resistor R is changed, the resistance change is detected, thereby controlling internal signals such as the power on reset signal and stopping the whole operation of the circuit device so as to prevent the circuits from malfunction. Thus, the system security can also be improved.

Semiconductor integrated circuit device and IC card

A semiconductor integrated circuit device provided with an IC chip so as to prevent its circuits from malfunction when the IC chip is cracked. To detect chip cracks, a resistor R is disposed at the outer periphery of the area which wants to detect the chip crack. If the chip is cracked and the resistance value of the resistor R is changed, the resistance change is detected, thereby controlling internal signals such as the power on reset signal and stopping the whole operation of the circuit device so as to prevent the circuits from malfunction. Thus, the system security can also be improved.

Growing community of inventors

Koganei, Japan

Tatsuya Nishihara