Field-Controlled Ion-Locked Polymorphic Electronics for Hardware Security

摘要非技术性的硬件假冒和知识产权盗版每年给美国造成2000多亿美元的损失。一个很有前途的硬件解决方案是“多态电子学”，在这种解决方案中，相同的电路可以被重新编程以实现不同的功能，从而掩盖了它们原来的功能。虽然人们正在探索传统的方法，但它们使用的是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持续供电。在这里，提出了一种晶体管，其极性在操作期间被设置，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。设备的极性由定制合成的离子导体中的离子设置，这些离子被锁定在设备表面的适当位置。展示这种可配置晶体管代表着朝着实现多态电子学以解决硬件安全问题迈出了一大步。除了解决关键的安全需求外，这项工作的另一个更广泛的影响是就一个需要纳米电子学、材料科学和化学知识的项目培训博士后、研究生和本科生。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。一种很有前途的硬件解决方案是所谓的“多态电子学”，它允许在操作期间改变相同电路/单元的功能。虽然人们正在探索传统的cmos方法，但它们需要大量的硅晶体管，因为极性是固定的；非硅方法正在出现，但它们需要持续提供电压，而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。本文提出了一种场控极性可重构场效应晶体管(FPFET)，它的极性是用场效应通过极化栅电压(VPG)来设定的。具体地说，晶体管的极性在操作期间被设置和锁定，因此不需要连续供应VPG。其智能优点在于演示了器件级的极性锁定(即n-和p-FET)，用场效应按需编程NAND和NOR门，并在没有连续VPG的情况下演示了这些门的操作。更广泛的影响包括推进多态电子技术以解决硬件安全问题，以及在几个学科的交叉领域对学生进行培训：设备物理、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智力优势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.