Quantum Tunneling PUF: A Chip Fingerprint for Hardware Security
Kai-Hsin Chuang, Hsin-Ming Chen, Meng-Yi Wu, Evans Ching-Sung Yang, Charles Ching‐Hsiang Hsu · 2021
As there are more things connected, more attacks through the internet occur. To protect the connected devices from being hacked, the security of each device becomes very important. The root of trust, which provides the secure storage of the secret key and the operation of security services, such as confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity, is the most important element in the chip to safeguard the chip and the operation of the system. A quantum tunneling PUF (Physically Unclonable Functions) can be formed by using the oxide variations during manufacturer processes. The quantum tunneling PUF stores the quantum signature inside the ultra-thin oxide, which is random, unique, stable, reliable, radiation-hardened, and non-traceable, such that it can play the role of fingerprint of the chip. The PUF-based hardware Root of Trust provides high security with high reliability whilst retaining a low cost for the applications in IoT, AI, autonomous driving, block-chains and 5G.