US 12,483,429 B2
Physically unclonable function produced using OTP memory
Shine C. Chung, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to ATTOPSEMI TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD, Hsinchu (TW)
Filed by Attopsemi Technology Co., LTD, Hsinchu (TW)
Filed on May 30, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/828,018.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/195,709, filed on Jun. 1, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0385486 A1, Dec. 1, 2022
Int. Cl. H04L 9/32 (2006.01); G11C 7/24 (2006.01); G11C 17/16 (2006.01); G11C 17/18 (2006.01); H04L 9/06 (2006.01)
CPC H04L 9/3278 (2013.01) [G11C 7/24 (2013.01); G11C 17/16 (2013.01); G11C 17/18 (2013.01); H04L 9/0643 (2013.01); H04L 2209/04 (2013.01); H04L 2209/08 (2013.01)] 23 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An electronic device producing a Physically Unclonable Function (PUF) value, comprising:
at least one OTP memory that can be programmed using a program voltage that is below a maximum program voltage;
at least one entropy source to provide data to be programmed into the OTP memory;
at least one weak-bit mask to detect unstable bits and to remove the unstable bits of the OTP memory from usage; and
at least one post processing device to further randomize the data from the at least one entropy source,
wherein the PUF value is produced based on at least programming the at least one entropy source into the OTP memory, and then randomizing the data in the at least one post processing device, and
wherein the at least one entropy source includes at least one bi-stable device and at least one control device, the at least one bi-stable device is configured to be controlled at least in part by the at least one control device to generate the data so that it is initially randomized.