Vented tamper-respondent assemblies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10299372-B2
Application number	US-201615275748-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 26, 2016
Priority date	Sep 26, 2016
Publication date	May 21, 2019
Grant date	May 21, 2019

Abstract

Tamper-respondent assemblies and methods of fabrication are provided which include a multilayer circuit board, a tamper-detection sensor, and a vent structure. The tamper-detection sensor is embedded within the multilayer circuit board, and defines, at least in part, a secure volume associated with the multilayer circuit board. The vent structure is incorporated into the multilayer circuit board, and includes at least one vent channel. The vent channel(s) is in fluid communication with a space within the secure volume to facilitate venting the space of the secure volume. The space within the secure volume may accommodate, for instance, one or more electronic components to be protected, and the at least one vent channel may, for instance, allow air pressure within the space of the secure volume to equalize with air pressure external to the tamper-respondent assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tamper-respondent assembly comprising:
a multilayer circuit board;
a tamper-detection sensor embedded within the multilayer circuit board, the tamper-detection sensor defining, at least in part, a secure volume associated with the multilayer circuit board;
a vent structure incorporated into the multilayer circuit board, the vent structure comprising at least one vent channel, the at least one vent channel being in fluid communication with a space within the secure volume to facilitate venting the space of the secure volume; and
wherein the tamper-detection sensor embedded within the multilayer circuit board comprises multiple tamper-detect network layers, and wherein the vent structure extends into the secure volume between a first tamper-detect network layer of the multiple tamper-detect network layers and a second tamper-detect network layer of the multiple tamper-detect network layers.

2. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
an enclosure coupled to the multilayer circuit board, the enclosure enclosing, at least in part, at least one electronic component to be protected; and
a tamper-detection sensor over an inner surface of the enclosure, the tamper-detection sensor over the inner surface of the enclosure and the embedded tamper-detection sensor within the multilayer circuit board together facilitating defining the secure volume, wherein the at least one electronic component resides within the secure volume.

3. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 2 , wherein the at least one vent channel of the vent structure extends to an edge of the multilayer circuit board.

4. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 3 , wherein the multilayer circuit board includes at least one vent opening extending from a surface of the multilayer circuit board within the secure volume into the multilayer circuit board, the at least one vent opening in the multilayer circuit board being in fluid communication with the at least one vent channel of the vent structure.

5. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 4 , wherein the vent structure further comprises a vent cavity located within the secure volume, the vent cavity facilitating coupling in fluid communication the at least one vent opening extending into the multilayer circuit board and the at least one vent channel.

6. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 5 , wherein the vent cavity within the vent structure comprises a first vent cavity, and the at least one vent opening comprises at least one first vent opening, and wherein the vent structure further includes a second vent cavity, the second vent cavity being located external to the secure volume, and the second vent cavity facilitating coupling in fluid communication at least one second vent opening extending, at least in part, into the multilayer circuit board and the at least one vent channel.

7. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 1 , wherein the space of the secure volume in fluid communication with the at least one vent channel of the vent structure is within the multilayer circuit board.

8. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 7 , wherein the secure volume resides fully within the multilayer circuit board.

9. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 8 , wherein the multilayer vent plate is a conductive structure, and adjacent layers of the multilayer vent plate are one of welded, soldered, or braised together.

10. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 7 , wherein the vent plate comprises a multilayer vent plate formed of multiple layers.

11. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 1 , wherein the vent structure includes a vent plate comprising the at least one vent channel.

12. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least one vent channel of the vent structure includes at least one directional change of 90° or greater.

13. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 1 , wherein the vent structure extends within the multilayer circuit board between the secure volume and an unsecure region of the multilayer circuit board external to the secure volume.

14. A tamper-respondent assembly comprising:
a multilayer circuit board;
a tamper-detection sensor embedded within the multilayer circuit board, the tamper-detection sensor defining, at least in part, a secure volume associated with the multilayer circuit board;
at least one electronic component disposed within a space within the secure volume;
a vent structure incorporated into the multilayer circuit board, the vent structure comprising at least one vent channel, the at least one vent channel being in fluid communication with the space within the secure volume to facilitate venting the space of the secure volume; and
wherein the tamper-detection sensor embedded within the multilayer circuit board comprises multiple tamper-detect network layers, and wherein the vent structure extends into the secure volume between a first tamper-detect network layer of the multiple tamper-detect network layers and a second tamper-detect network layer of the multiple tamper-detect network layers.

15. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 14 , further comprising:
an enclosure coupled to the multilayer circuit board, the enclosure enclosing, at least in part, at least one electronic component to be protected; and
a tamper-detection sensor over an inner surface of the enclosure, the tamper-detection sensor over the inner surface of the enclosure and the embedded tamper-detection sensor within the multilayer circuit board together facilitating defining the secure volume, wherein the at least one electronic component resides within the secure volume.

16. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 15 , wherein the at least one vent channel of the vent structure extends to an edge of the multilayer circuit board.

17. A fabrication method comprising:
fabricating a tamper-respondent assembly, the fabricating comprising:
providing a multilayer circuit board;
providing a tamper-detection sensor embedded within the multilayer circuit board, the tamper-detection sensor defining, at least in part, a secure volume associated with the multilayer circuit board;
incorporating a vent structure into the multilayer circuit board, the vent structure including at least one vent channel, the at least one vent channel being in fluid communication with a space within the secure volume to facilitate venting the space of the secure volume; and
wherein the tamper-detection sensor embedded within the multilayer circuit board comprises multiple tamper-detect network layers, and wherein the vent structure extends into the secure volume between a first tamper-detect network layer of the multiple tamper-detect network layers and a second tamper-detect network layer of the multiple tamper-detect network layers.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Dragone Silvio
• Oggioni Stefano S
• Santiago-Fernandez William

Classifications

• H05K2201/09036

  Recesses or grooves in insulating substrate · CPC title

• G06F21/87

  by means of encapsulation, e.g. for integrated circuits · CPC title

• H05K1/185

  associated with components encapsulated in the insulating substrate of the PCBs; associated with components incorporated in internal layers of multilayer circuit boards · CPC title

• H05K3/30

  Assembling printed circuits with electric components, e.g. with resistors · CPC title

• H05K1/0275 Primary

  Security details, e.g. tampering prevention or detection · CPC title