Tamper-respondent assembly with flexible tamper-detect sensor(s) overlying in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10327329-B2
Application number	US-201715430842-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 13, 2017
Priority date	Feb 13, 2017
Publication date	Jun 18, 2019
Grant date	Jun 18, 2019

Abstract

Tamper-respondent assemblies and methods of fabrication are provided which include an enclosure, an in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor, and one or more flexible tamper-detect sensors. The enclosure encloses, at least in part, one or more electronic components to be protected, and the in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor is formed in place over an inner surface of the enclosure. The flexible tamper-detect sensor(s) is disposed over the in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor, such that the in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor is between the inner surface of the enclosure and the flexible tamper-detect sensor(s). Together the in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor and flexible tamper-detect sensor(s) facilitate defining, at least in part, a secure volume about the one or more electronic components.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tamper-respondent assembly comprising:
an enclosure to enclose, at least in part, one or more electronic components to be protected;
an in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor over an inner surface of the enclosure; and
one or more flexible tamper-detect sensors disposed over the in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor, with the in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor being between the inner surface of the enclosure and the flexible tamper-detect sensor(s), and wherein together the in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor and the flexible tamper-detect sensor(s) facilitate defining, at least in part, a secure volume about the electronic component(s).

2. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 1 , wherein the flexible tamper-detect sensor(s) lines the inner surface of the enclosure over the in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor and comprises at least one flexible layer with sensor lines disposed thereon, and wherein the in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor comprises metal sensor lines, and the sensor lines of the flexible tamper-detect sensor(s) comprise non-metal sensor lines.

3. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a monitor to monitor the in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor and the flexible tamper-detect sensor(s) for a tamper event, and at least one flexible connect cable electrically coupled to at least one of the in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor or the flexible tamper-detect sensor(s) to facilitate electrically connecting the monitor to sensor lines of the at least one of the in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor or the flexible tamper-detect sensor(s).

4. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 3 , further comprising a sensor connection adapter disposed over the in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor within the secure volume, the sensor connection adapter facilitating electrically connecting the monitor to sensor lines of the in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor.

5. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 4 , wherein the sensor connection adapter is disposed between the in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor and the flexible tamper-detect sensor(s).

6. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 4 , wherein the sensor connection adapter electrically connects to the sensor lines of the in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor via at least one connector, the at least one connector comprising a connector type selected from the group consisting of a wire-bond connector, a solder-ball connector, a spring connector, and a zebra strip connector.

7. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 3 , wherein the flexible connect cable electrically couples to the in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor(s) within the secure volume.

8. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 7 , wherein the monitor electrically couples to the in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor through the at least one flexible connect cable and a flexible interposer disposed, at least in part, over the in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor.

9. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 8 , wherein the flexible interposer includes multiple electrical contacts to sensor line contacts of the in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor, the sensor line contacts being dispersed across the in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor over the inner surface of the enclosure.

10. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 9 , wherein the multiple electrical contacts, and conductive traces of the flexible interposer, are formed of a conductive material invisible to X-ray imaging.

11. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 9 , where the flexible tamper-detect sensor(s) comprises the flexible interposer.

12. A tamper-respondent assembly comprising:
a circuit board;
an enclosure to secure to the circuit board and enclose, at least in part, one or more electronic components to be protected;
an in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor over an inner surface of the enclosure; and
one or more flexible tamper-detect sensors disposed over the in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor, with the in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor being between the inner surface of the enclosure and the flexible tamper-detect sensor(s), and wherein together the in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor and the flexible tamper-detect sensor(s) facilitate defining, at least in part, a secure volume about the electronic component(s).

13. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 12 , wherein the flexible tamper-detect sensor(s) lines the inner surface of the enclosure over the in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor and comprises at least one flexible layer with sensor lines disposed thereon, and wherein the in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor comprises metal sensor lines, and the sensor lines of the flexible tamper-detect sensor(s) comprise non-metal sensor lines.

14. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 12 , wherein the circuit board comprises a multilayer circuit board, and the tamper-respondent assembly further includes:
an embedded tamper-detect sensor embedded within the multilayer circuit board, wherein the in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor, the flexible tamper-detect sensor(s), and the embedded tamper-detect sensor together facilitate defining the secure volume about the electronic component(s).

15. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 12 , further comprising a monitor to monitor the in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor and flexible tamper-detect sensor(s) for a tamper event, and at least one flexible connect cable electrically coupled to at least one of the in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor or the flexible tamper-detect sensor(s) to facilitate electrically connecting the monitor to sensor lines of the at least one of the in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor or the flexible tamper-detect sensor(s).

16. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 15 , wherein the flexible connect cable electrically couples to the in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor(s) within the secure volume.

17. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 16 , wherein the monitor electrically couples to the in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor through the at least one flexible connect cable and a flexible interposer disposed, at least in part, over the in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor.

18. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 17 , wherein the flexible interposer includes multiple electrical contacts to the sensor line contacts of the in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor, the sensor line contacts being dispersed across the in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor over the inner surface of the enclosure.

19. The tamper-respondent assembly of claim 18 , wherein the flexible tamper-detect sensor(s) comprises the flexible interposer.

20. A method of fabricating a tamper-respondent assembly comprising:
providing an enclosure to enclose, at least in part, one or more electronic components to be protected;
fabricating an in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor over an inner surface of the enclosure;
forming one or more flexible tamper-detect sensors; and
securing the flexible tamper-detect sensor(s) over the in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor, with the in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor being between the inner surface of the enclosure and flexible tamper-detect sensor(s), and wherein together the in-situ-formed tamper-detect sensor and the flexible tamper-detect sensor(s) facilitate defining, at least in part, a secure volume about the electronic component(s).

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Brodsky William L
• Busby James A
• Dangler John R
• Dragone Silvio
• Fisher Michael J
• Long David C

Classifications

• H10W90/00

  Package configurations · CPC title

• H10W42/405

  using active circuits · CPC title

• H10W70/685

  comprising multiple insulating layers · CPC title

• H10W70/611

  for connecting multiple chips together · CPC title

• H10W70/688

  Flexible insulating substrates · CPC title