Method and apparatus for providing a protection circuit for...

Computer-aided design and analysis of circuits and semiconductor – Nanotechnology related integrated circuit design

Reexamination Certificate

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

C716S030000

Reexamination Certificate

active

07814446

ABSTRACT:
A method and apparatus for providing a protection circuit for protecting an integrated circuit design is described. In one example, a sequence generator is defined to produce a pseudorandom sequence of output vectors. A plurality of output vectors is selected from the sequence of output vectors. Bits from the plurality of output vectors are randomly selected to define a terminal vector. Detection logic is generated for detecting the terminal vector. In another example, a protection circuit is defined for asserting a signal after a plurality of clock cycles. At least one lookup table (LUT) is identified in the implemented circuit design having at least one unused input terminal. The signal is coupled to the at least one unused input terminal of the at least one LUT. The protection circuit and the circuit design are then implemented.

REFERENCES:
patent: 4341925 (1982-07-01), Frosch et al.
patent: 6173235 (2001-01-01), Maeda
patent: 6198301 (2001-03-01), Chetlur et al.
patent: 6336208 (2002-01-01), Mohan et al.
patent: 6446242 (2002-09-01), Lien et al.
patent: 6617990 (2003-09-01), Lorenzo-Luaces et al.
patent: 6618839 (2003-09-01), Beardslee et al.
patent: 6747480 (2004-06-01), Kaptanoglu et al.
patent: 6874107 (2005-03-01), Lesea
patent: 6876186 (2005-04-01), Gupta
patent: 7028281 (2006-04-01), Agrawal et al.
patent: 7183799 (2007-02-01), Donlin et al.
patent: 7376929 (2008-05-01), Grant
patent: 7484081 (2009-01-01), Langhammer et al.
patent: 2002/0010853 (2002-01-01), Trimberger et al.
patent: 2002/0093356 (2002-07-01), Williams et al.
patent: 2003/0023912 (2003-01-01), Lesea
patent: 2003/0172363 (2003-09-01), Chauhan et al.
patent: 2004/0024806 (2004-02-01), Jeong et al.
patent: 2004/0236961 (2004-11-01), Walmsley
patent: 2005/0040855 (2005-02-01), Boerstler et al.
patent: 2005/0102539 (2005-05-01), Hepner et al.
patent: 2006/0049886 (2006-03-01), Agostinelli et al.
patent: 2006/0075374 (2006-04-01), McElvain
patent: 2006/0215743 (2006-09-01), Lang et al.
Touba et al.; “Altering a Pseudo-Random Bit Sequence for Scan-Based BIST”; 1996; IEEE; All pages.
Kohlbrenner et al.; “An Embedded True Random Number Generator for FPGAs”; Feb. 2004; ACM; All pages.
Tsoi et al.; “Compact FPGA-based True and Pseudo Random Number Generators”; 2003; IEEE; All pages.
Jas et al.; “Hybrid BIST Based on Weighted Pseudo-Random Testing: A New Test Resource Partitioning Scheme”; 2001; IEEE; All pages.
Krishna et al.; “Hybrid BIST Using an Incrementally Guided LFSR”; 2003; IEEE; All pages.
Fischer et al.; “True Random Number Generator Embedded in Reconfigurable Hardware”; 2002; IEEE; All pages.
U.S. Appl. No. 10/985,508, filed Nov. 10, 2004, Douglas.
U.S. Appl. No. 12/052,013, filed Mar. 20, 2008, Douglas.
Dini Group, The, “PCI Hosted, ASIC Prototyping Engine,” DN2000k10 product specification, May 2000, pp. 1-3, available from www.dinigroup.com.
Goering, Richard, “‘Digital Signature’ technology aids IP protection,”EE Times, Mar. 25, 1998, pp. 1-2, downloaded from http:/www.eetimes.com
ews/98/1000news/digital.html on Oct. 14, 2007.
Jain, Adarsh K. et al., “Zero Overhead Watermarking Technique for FPGA Designs,”Proceedings of the 2003 ACM Great Lakes Symposium on VLSI(GLSVLSI '03), Apr. 28-29, 2003, pp. 147-152, Washington, DC.
Kahng, Andrew B. et al., “Constraint-Based Watermarking Techniques for Design IP Protection,”IEEE Transactions on Computer-Aided Design of Integrated Circuits and Systems, Oct. 2001, pp. 1236-1252, vol. 20, No. 10.
Lach, John et al., “Robust FPGA Intellectual Property Protection Through Multiple Small Watermarks,”Proceedings of the 36thACM/IEEE Conference on Design Automation(DAC'99), Jun. 21-25, 1999, pp. 831-836, New Orleans, Louisiana.
U.S. Appl. No. 11/179,451, filed Jul. 12, 2005, Nisbet et al.
Chang, Chih-Wei (Jim), “Layout-Driven Hot-Carrier Degradation Minimization Using Logic Restructuring Techniques”,Proc, of the 38thAnnual Design Automation Conference, Jun. 18, 2001, pp. 1-6, ACM, New York, New York.
Clement, J. Joseph et al., “Methodology for Electromigration Critical Threshold Design Rule Evaluation,”IEEE Transactions on Computer-Aided Design of Integrated Circuits and Systems, May 1999, pp. 576-581, IEEE, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA.
The Controversial Bits, 1 page, downloaded Sep. 24, 2004 from http://people.freenet.de/s.urfer/conditioning.htm.
Gladkikh, A. et al., “Correlation Between Electromigration Damage Kinetics and Microstructure in Cu Interconnects”,Proc. of the 27thEuropean Solid-State Research Conference, Sep. 22, 1997, pp. 448-451, Editions Frontieres, Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France.
Hara, Yoshiko, “NEC claims breakthrough in high-k dielectrics,”Electronic Engineering Times, Sep. 27, 2004, Issue 1340, 3 pages, Electronic Engineering Times at http://www.eetimesgroup.com.
Lloyd, J.R.,Electromigration for Designers: An Introduction for the Non-Specialist, Apr. 12, 2002, pp. 1-9, downloaded Jan. 12, 2005 from http://www.techonline.com.
Luryi, Serge et al., “Hot Electron Injection Devices”,Superlattices and Microstructures, received Nov. 27, 1984, publ. 1985, vol. 1, No. 5, pp. 389-400, Elsevier, Maryland Heights, Missouri, USA.
NASA, “Specific Concerns in Space Applications: Hot Electron Effects”,NEPP—General Reliability and Radiation Concerns, 1 page, downloaded Jul. 9, 2004 from http:/
epp.nasa.gov/index—nasa.cfm/909/.
Peters, Laura, “Early Failures are Key in Copper Electromigration”,Semiconductor International, Jul. 1, 2002, 1 page, downloaded Aug. 16, 2004 from http://www.keepmedia.com:/jsp/article—detail—print.jsp.
Sanchez, Julian J., “Hot-Electron Resistant Device Processing and Design: A Review”,IEEE Transactions on Semiconductor Manufacturing, received Mar. 11, 1988, publ. Feb. 1989, pp. 1-8, vol. 2, No. 1, IEEE, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA.
Sullivan, Tim, “Electromigration” tutorial,1999 Integrated Reliability Workshop(IRW), Oct. 18, 1999, 3 pages, downloaded Jul. 9, 2004 from http://www.irps.org/irw/99/Tuts.htm.
Tyree, Vance C.,Reliability in CMOS IC Design: Physical Failure Mechanisms and their Modeling, Nov. 15, 2000, pp. 1-8, The Mosis Service, Marina del Rey, California, USA, downloaded from http://www.mosis.com/Fags/tech—cmos—rel.pdf.
Watts, Joe et al., “Hot Electron Degradation in SOI MOSFETs”,Annual Research Summary, Section 8, Jul. 1, 1994, 1 page, available from Purdue University, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA, downloaded Aug. 24, 2004 from http://dynamo.ecn.purdue.edu/ECE/Research/ARS/ARS95/Sec8/8—24.html.
Wikipedia, “Electromigration”, pp. 1-4, last modified and downloaded Aug. 16, 2004 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromigration.

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for the USA inventors and patents. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Method and apparatus for providing a protection circuit for... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Method and apparatus for providing a protection circuit for..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Method and apparatus for providing a protection circuit for... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-4162923

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.