Core-shell particles for anti-tampering applications

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9859226-B1
Application number	US-201615377924-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Dec 13, 2016
Priority date	Dec 13, 2016
Publication date	Jan 2, 2018
Grant date	Jan 2, 2018

Abstract

Devices and methods for resisting or preventing physical tampering of electronic components are described. A tamper resistant apparatus comprises a tampering sensor having a surface at which a first and second conductive portion are disposed. A core-shell particle (or a plurality of particles) is disposed on the surface of the tampering sensor. The core-shell particle has a liquid metallic core and a shell surrounding the core. When tampering occurs, forces associated with the tampering cause the core-shell particle to rupture. The released liquid metallic core material can form a conductive pathway between the first and second conductive portions of the tampering sensor. The tampering sensor triggers a security response when the first and second conductive portions are electrically connected to each other by the metallic material from the ruptured core-shell particle(s).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tamper resistant apparatus, comprising:
a tampering sensor having a surface at which a first conductive portion and a second conductive portion are disposed; and
a core-shell particle disposed on the surface, wherein
the core-shell particle has a liquid metallic core and a shell surrounding the liquid metallic core, and
the tampering sensor is configured to trigger a security response when the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion are electrically connected to each other by rupture of the core-shell particle.

2. The tamper resistant apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the shell is an oxide formed of a metal of the liquid metallic core.

3. The tamper resistant apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the liquid metallic core has a freezing point higher than an operating temperature of the tampering sensor.

4. The tamper resistant apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the liquid metallic core has a freezing point less than or equal to an operating temperature of the tampering sensor.

5. The tamper resistant apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the core-shell particle is formed by a SLICE technique.

6. The tamper resistant apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
an electronic component connected to the tampering sensor; and
a casing surrounding the tampering sensor and the electronic component.

7. The tamper resistant apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the security response comprises erasure of data stored in the electronic component.

8. The tamper resistant apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the security response comprises transmission of an alarm signal.

9. The tamper resistant apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a tamper-sensitive resin layer adjacent to the tampering sensor, the core-shell particle being between the tamper-sensitive resin layer and the surface of the tampering sensor.

10. The tamper resistant apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first tamper-sensitive glass layer adjacent to the tampering sensor, the core-shell particle being between the first tamper-sensitive glass layer and the surface of the tampering sensor.

11. The tamper resistant apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the tampering sensor includes a second tamper-sensitive glass layer, the core-shell particle being between the first tamper-sensitive glass layer and the second tamper-sensitive glass layer.

12. The tamper resistant apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a standoff disposed on the surface of the tampering sensor, the standoff having a height from the surface of the tampering sensor that is greater than a diameter of the core-shell particle; and
a sheet layer disposed on the standoff, the standoff and the core-shell particle being between the sheet layer and the surface of the tampering sensor.

13. The tamper resistant apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the sheet layer includes a metal.

14. A secured device, comprising:
an electronic component;
a tampering sensor connected to the electronic component and having a surface at which a first conductive portion and a second conductive portion are disposed;
a casing surrounding the electronic component and the tampering sensor; and
a core-shell particle on the surface of the tampering sensor, wherein
the core-shell particle has a liquid metallic core and a shell surrounding the liquid metallic core, and
the tampering sensor is configured to trigger a security response when the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion are electrically connected to each other by rupture of the core-shell particles.

15. The secured device of claim 14 , wherein
the shell is an oxide formed of a metal of the liquid metallic core; and
the liquid metallic core has a freezing point higher than an operating temperature of the secured device.

16. The secured device of claim 14 , further comprising:
a tamper-sensitive resin layer adjacent to the tampering sensor, the core-shell particle being between the tamper-sensitive resin layer and the surface of the tampering sensor.

17. The secured device of claim 14 , further comprising:
a first tamper-sensitive glass layer adjacent to the tampering sensor, the core-shell particle being between the first tamper-sensitive glass layer and the surface of the tampering sensor.

18. The secured device of claim 14 , further comprising:
a standoff disposed on the surface of the tampering sensor, the standoff having a height from the surface of the tampering sensor that is greater than a diameter of the core-shell particle; and
a sheet layer disposed on the standoff, the standoff and the core-shell particle being between the sheet layer and the surface of the tampering sensor.

19. A method, comprising:
obtaining a secured device comprising:
an electronic component;
a tampering sensor connected to the electronic component and having a surface at which a first conductive portion and a second conductive portion are disposed;
a casing surrounding the electronic component and the tampering sensor; and
a core-shell particle disposed on the surface of the tampering sensor, wherein
the core-shell particle has a liquid metallic core and a shell surrounding the liquid metallic core, and
the tampering sensor is configured to supply a signal when the first conductive portion and the second conductive portion are electrically connected to each other by rupture of the core-shell particle;

monitoring the signal output by the tampering sensor; and
triggering a security response according to the signal output by the tampering sensor.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the security response comprises erasure of electronic data stored by the electronic component.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Campbell Eric J
• Czaplewski Sarah K
• Kuczynski Joseph
• Tofil Timothy J
• Wertz Jason T
• Zhang Jing

Classifications

• H10W76/17

  characterised by their materials · CPC title

• H10W74/111

  the semiconductor body being completely enclosed · CPC title

• H10W42/40 Primary

  protecting against tampering, e.g. unauthorised inspection or reverse engineering · CPC title

• H01L23/3107

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H01L23/06

  Electricity · mapped topic