Experimental validation of a Bulk Built-In Current Sensor for detecting laser-induced currents

Abstract

Bulk Built-In Current Sensors (BBICS) were developed to detect the transient bulk currents induced in the bulk of integrated circuits when hit by ionizing particles or pulsed laser. This paper reports the experimental evaluation of a complete BBICS architecture, designed to simultaneously monitor PMOS and NMOS transistors, under Photoelectric Laser Stimulation (PLS). The obtained results are the first experimental proof of the efficiency of BBICS in laser fault injection detection attempts. Furthermore, this paper highlights the importance of BBICS tapping in a sensitive area (logical gates) for improved laser detection. It studies the performances of this BBICS architecture and suggests modifications for its future implementation.