Patent ID: 7966666

Claim:
A chip security system for protecting an integrated circuit (IC) chip from backside attack, the IC chip having a front side and a backside opposite the front side, the front side including an integrated circuit disposed thereon, the system comprising: a first antenna disposed on the front side; a signal generator disposed on the front side, the signal generator being operationally connected to the first antenna, the signal generator being operative to supply an outbound signal for transmission by the first antenna; a backside circuit disposed on the backside of the IC chip, at least part of the backside circuit forming a shielding arrangement, the backside circuit including a second antenna to wirelessly receive the outbound signal transmitted by the first antenna thereby providing power to the backside circuit, the shielding arrangement formed by the at least part of the backside circuit being disposed on the backside to cover enough of the backside in a region facing the integrated circuit such that any gap in the at least part of the backside circuit in the region facing the integrated circuit cannot encompass an area of 50 microns by 50 microns, wherein the backside circuit is operative to transmit a return signal wirelessly from the second antenna to the first antenna, such that a breach in the shielding arrangement results in a change in, or cessation of, the return signal; a signal analyzer disposed on the front side, the signal analyzer being operationally connected to the first antenna, the signal analyzer being operative to detect the breach in the shielding arrangement from the change in, or the cessation, of the return signal; and a chip controller disposed on the front side, the chip control being operationally connected to the signal analyzer, the chip controller being operative to perform an action on the integrated circuit in response to the detection of the breach by the signal analyzer.