PFI-TT: Embedded Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) to secure the semiconductor supply chain

  • Franzon, Paul P.D. (PI)
  • Patti, Robert (CoPI)
  • Aysu, Aydin (CoPI)

Project Details

Description

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Partnerships for Innovation - Technology Translation (PFI-TT) project is to protect the integrity of electronic devices. Counterfeit integrated circuits are a national security threat as they can appear in mission-critical systems, such as a nuclear submarine. The current supply chain has many potential weaknesses. This project advances a technology to address counterfeits. Inserting the proposed wireless identification circuit enables a semiconductor chip to be interrogated at any point in the supply chain where tracking is valued. This tracking can be validated by manufacturers, customs, and end users, leading to a real-time “trust but verify” ecosystem that guarantees authenticity. The project will demonstrate a complete embedded radio frequency identification (RFID) block, including a unique identification number to cryptographically generate a query response from a reader at a range of approximately 0.5 cm. It can be read in under 0.2 s with minimal sensitivity to alignment. The project goals include: (1) design of a suitable antenna, (2) incorporation of a Non-Volatile Memory to store the semiconductor chip’s unique identification number, (3) removal of a voltage bias circuit, and (4) design and integration of a cryptographic identification communication system. The prototype will be built using validated circuit design techniques using a semiconductor foundry-provided design kit, fabricated into a demonstration semiconductor chip at an existing commercial foundry, and then assembled into a test and validation station.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
StatusFinished
Effective start/end date15/2/2231/7/23

Funding

  • National Science Foundation: US$249,767.00

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

  • Electrical and Electronic Engineering
  • Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
  • Computer Science(all)
  • Engineering(all)
  • Mathematics(all)

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