US 12,244,741 B2
Physical unclonable function (PUF) security key generation
Saman M. I. Adham, Ontario (CA); Shih-Lien Linus Lu, Hsinchu (TW); and Peter Noel, Ontario (CA)
Assigned to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd., Hsinchu (TW)
Filed by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd., Hsinchu (TW)
Filed on Nov. 22, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/517,801.
Application 18/517,801 is a continuation of application No. 17/215,765, filed on Mar. 29, 2021, granted, now 11,856,115.
Application 17/215,765 is a continuation of application No. 16/171,747, filed on Oct. 26, 2018, granted, now 10,965,475, issued on Mar. 30, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/591,957, filed on Nov. 29, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2024/0089127 A1, Mar. 14, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04L 9/08 (2006.01); G06F 21/72 (2013.01); G06F 21/73 (2013.01); H04L 9/32 (2006.01)
CPC H04L 9/3278 (2013.01) [G06F 21/72 (2013.01); G06F 21/73 (2013.01); H04L 9/0838 (2013.01); H04L 9/0866 (2013.01); H04L 2209/12 (2013.01); H04L 2209/34 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method, comprising:
providing a plurality of memory cells;
receiving a challenge address;
generating a first occurrence of a security key under a first test condition in response to receiving the challenge address, the security key including a plurality of key bits;
generating a second occurrence of the security key under the first test condition;
comparing the key bits of the first and second occurrences of the security key to identify an unstable bit; and
excluding the unstable key bit from the security key.