Patent ID: 8971527
Filing Date: 2015-03-03
Classification: G06F,H04L,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A device having a physical unclonable function, the device comprising: an integrated circuit; a phase change memory embedded in the integrated circuit and comprising a plurality of cells, wherein the phase change memory is set in a manner that results in a non-uniform phase being exhibited over the plurality of cells, wherein the non-uniform phase is manifested by at least two of the plurality of cells being set to different phases, wherein each of the different phases is one of: fully amorphous, fully crystalline, or between fully amorphous and fully crystalline, and wherein the non-uniform phase comprises the physical unclonable function; and a measurement circuit for measuring a property of the phase change memory, for deriving a signature having one or more physical unclonable function values, and for deriving a binary key from the signature, wherein the binary key is derived by applying a threshold to the one or more physical unclonable function values for conversion into a binary code.