Gate security feature
US8980734B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 8, 2013 |
| Grant date | Mar 17, 2015 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 8, 2033 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH10D84/853
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An anti-counterfeiting security circuit is incorporated into an authentic integrated circuit device to induce failure in a counterfeited integrated circuit device by forming the security circuit (e.g., 21, 31, 41, 51) with one or more operatively inert high-k metal gate transistors (e.g., HKMG PMOS 112) having switched or altered work function metal layers (82) where the security circuit defines a first electrical function with the one or more operatively inert high-k metal gate transistors and defines a second different electrical function if the one or more operatively inert high-k metal gate transistors were instead fabricated as operatively functional high-k metal gate transistors of the first polarity type with a work function metal layer of the first polarity type, the security circuit would define a second different electrical function.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.