US 12,438,104 B2
Apparatus and method for generating hardware-based physical unclonable functions and their use
Nan Du, Chemnitz (DE); Heidemarie Schmidt, Chemnitz (DE); Stefan Schulz, Chemnitz (DE); Ilia Polian, Stuttgart (DE); and Danilo Buerger, Chemnitz (DE)
Assigned to Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., Munich (DE)
Filed by Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der angewandten Forschung e.V., Munich (DE); and Universitaet Stuttgart, Stuttgart (DE)
Filed on Nov. 28, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/070,290.
Application 18/070,290 is a continuation of application No. PCT/EP2021/064269, filed on May 27, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 102020206792.9 (DE), filed on May 29, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0093922 A1, Mar. 30, 2023
Int. Cl. G06F 21/75 (2013.01); G11C 13/00 (2006.01); H01L 23/00 (2006.01)
CPC H01L 23/573 (2013.01) [G06F 21/75 (2013.01); G11C 13/0007 (2013.01); G11C 13/004 (2013.01); G11C 13/0059 (2013.01); G11C 13/0069 (2013.01); G11C 2213/31 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. Apparatus for generating a binary numerical sequence, the apparatus comprising:
two or more memristors, wherein the apparatus is configured to apply a first write voltage or a second write voltage, different from the first write voltage, as a write voltage to each of the two or more memristors, and/or to apply a first read voltage or a second read voltage, different from the first read voltage, as a read voltage to each of the two or more memristors, wherein each memristor of the two or more memristors is configured to output, in dependence on the write voltage applied to the memristor and/or in dependence on the read voltage applied to the memristor, an output voltage with a first random or pseudo-random voltage value from a first voltage value range or with a second random or pseudo-random voltage value from a second voltage value range; and
one or more comparators, wherein each of the one or more comparators is assigned to precisely one of the two or more memristors;
wherein each comparator of the one or more comparators is configured to output a binary output value in dependence on a comparison between the output voltage of the one of the two or more memristors having assigned thereto the comparator and a threshold voltage, and
wherein the apparatus is configured to generate the binary numerical sequence in dependence on the binary output value of each of the one or more comparators,
wherein each comparator of the one or more comparators is configured to perform the comparison between the output voltage of the one of the two or more memristors being assigned to the comparator and the same threshold voltage,
wherein each of the one or more comparators is configured to use as the threshold voltage the output voltage of one of the two or more memristors.