Field-Controlled Ion-Locked Polymorphic Electronics for Hardware Security

非技术性的硬件假冒和知识产权盗版每年使美国损失超过2000亿美元。一个很有前途的硬件解决方案是“多态电子学”，其中相同的电路可以重新编程以实现不同的功能，从而掩盖其原始功能。 虽然正在探索传统的方法，但它们使用具有固定极性的晶体管，这需要许多额外的晶体管来改变电路功能。 极性不固定的替代方法需要连续供电。 在这里，提出了一种晶体管，其极性在操作期间设置，并且不需要连续的电压供应来维持状态;这些属性将降低功率和尺寸要求。 装置的极性由定制合成离子导体中的离子设定，所述离子导体锁定在装置表面的适当位置。 演示这种可配置的晶体管代表了实现多态电子器件以解决硬件安全性的一大步。 除了解决关键的安全需求，这项工作的另一个更广泛的影响是培训博士后，研究生和本科生的项目，需要纳米电子学，材料科学和化学的知识。 技术硬件安全漏洞通常以恶意循环的形式执行，称为硬件特洛伊木马（HT），这是由不受信任的第三方进行的修改或插入。 一种有前途的硬件解决方案是所谓的“多态电子”，其允许在操作期间改变相同电路/单元的功能。 虽然传统的CMOS方法正在探索中，但它们需要大量的Si晶体管，因为极性是固定的;非Si方法正在出现，但它们需要持续提供电压，并且将电路从一种功能转换为另一种功能所涉及的触发器通常是不切实际的。这里，提出了一种场控极性可重构场效应晶体管（FPFET），其中使用极性栅极电压（VPG）通过场效应来设置极性。具体地，晶体管的极性在操作期间被设置和锁定，并且因此不需要持续供应VPG。其智力价值在于证明了器件级极性锁定（即，n-和p-FET），通过场效应按需编程NAND和NOR门，并演示在没有连续VPG的情况下这些门的操作。 更广泛的影响包括推进多形态电子技术以解决硬件安全问题，以及在多个学科交叉点的学生培训：器件物理学，材料科学和化学。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

AbstractNontechnicalHardware counterfeiting and intellectual property piracy cost the U.S. more than $200 billion annually. A promising hardware solution is “polymorphic electronics,” in which the same circuit can be reprogramed to achieve a different functionality, thereby obscuring their original function. While conventional approaches are being explored, they use transistors with fixed polarity, which require many additional transistors to alter circuit functionality. Alternative approaches where the polarity is not fixed require power to be continuously supplied. Here, a transistor is proposed whose polarity is set during operation, and for which a continuous voltage supply is not required to maintain the state; these attributes will reduce both power and size requirements. The polarity of the device is set by ions in a custom synthesized ion-conductor that are locked into place at the surface of the device. Demonstrating such a configurable transistor represents a large step towards realizing polymorphic electronics to address hardware security. In addition to addressing a critical security need, another broader impact of this work is training a postdoc, graduate student and undergraduate students on a project that requires knowledge of nanoelectronics, materials science and chemistry. Technical Hardware security breaks are often executed in the form of malicious circuity, known as a Hardware Trojan (HT), which is a modification or insertion made by an untrusted third party. One promising hardware solution is so-called “polymorphic electronics,” which allows changing the functionality of the same circuit/cell during operation. While conventional CMOS approaches are being explored, they require a large number of Si transistors because the polarity is fixed; non-Si approaches are emerging, but they require voltage to be continuously supplied, and the triggers involved to convert the circuit from one function to another are often impractical. Here, a Field-controlled Polarity-reconfigurable Field-Effect Transistor (FPFET) is proposed in which the polarity is set by field effect using a polarity gate voltage (VPG). Specifically, the polarity of transistors is set and locked during operation and therefore does not require VPG to be continuously supplied. The intellectual merit lies in demonstrating device-level polarity locking (i.e., n- and p-FET), programming NAND and NOR gates on-demand by field-effect, and demonstrating the operation of those gates in the absence of a continuous VPG. The broader impacts include advancing polymorphic electronics to address hardware security, and student training at the intersection of several disciplines: device physics, materials science and chemistry.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.