Inkjet-Printed Physical Unclonable Functions For Secure Authentication

Counterfeiting is a growing global challenge with significant economic and social implications. Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs), exploiting manufacturing randomness to generate unique and unclonable identifiers, have emerged as a promising solution for secure authentication. This study presents a novel, scalable method for fabricating inkjet-printed PUFs by exploiting the randomness of ink droplet deposition on substrates such as paper. By optimizing geometric features, the proposed system ensures high uniqueness, reliability, and bit uniformity. The PUFs also exhibits excellent durability, maintaining performance under mechanical stress and chemical exposure. Furthermore, the system incorporates a low-cost imaging setup and advanced positional markers, enabling fast and accurate database validation. This work establishes a robust and low-cost route to PUFs that can be interrogated with consumer-grade devices, making them suitable for various anticounterfeiting applications, including supply chain security and luxury goods authentication.