Implementing Multimodal Hardware Security with 2D α-In₂Se₃ Ferroelectric Transistor.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrical Engineering
• Computer Engineering

Background:

• Integrated circuit (IC) security is a critical industry challenge.
• Existing hardware security solutions are often limited, costly, and address only single threats.
• Device-level security remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose an out-of-the-box hardware security solution.
• To develop a versatile and multimodal secure application using an in-memory sensing and computing (IMSC) architecture.
• To leverage the unique properties of alpha-Indium Selenide (α-In2Se3) for integrated circuit security.

Main Methods:

• Integration of an α-In2Se3 transistor into an IMSC architecture.
• Demonstration of electronic and optoelectronic synaptic behaviors of the secure transistor.
• Implementation of reconfigurable logic operations.

Main Results:

• The α-In2Se3 transistor exhibits unique ferroelectric, optoelectronic, and semiconducting properties.
• Successful implementation of four key security primitives: anticounterfeiting, watermarking, logic locking, and IC camouflaging.
• A single-transistor structure provides robust protection against counterfeit ICs, IP theft, and reverse engineering.

Conclusions:

• The multimodal secure transistor offers a flexible and integrated solution for diverse IC security threats.
• This approach provides robust protection without requiring modifications to current technology nodes.
• The study highlights the potential of α-In2Se3 for advanced hardware security applications.