Challenges and novel approaches for the development of hardware-related trustworthy electronics

Abstract

Emerging and future electronic components and systems must not only meet cost, performance, reliability, miniaturization and environmental requirements, they must also be trustworthy. In the near future, we have to trust even more electronic components and systems in everyday life, such as those used in self-driving cars or service robots. In this contribution, we present the challenges and novel approaches for the development of hardware-related trustworthy electronics. Our proposed solutions cover all aspects of the value chain starting with the confidentiality of secure production chains, the security against manipulation as well as technological sovereignty. These novel approaches are extensively investigated with partners from academia and industry in R&D projects within the framework of the German Flagship initiative “Trustworthy Electronics”. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as a contribution to research and innovation for technological sovereignty fund this initiative. In this paper, we will report on the latest research results of the implementation of our approaches at four key levels, namely wafer, board, system and platform levels. In the area of wafer level packaging, the focus is on developing solutions for the implementation of trustworthy heterogeneous systems using high-frequency chips in combination with complex signal processing. At board-level, the goal is to develop a universal electro-optical interposer, particularly taking into account security features (e.g. key generation and encryption / decryption, design of photonic expandable RISC-V peripheral components). At system-level, we focus on the development of processes and multi-sensor systems that protect important microelectronic circuits from criminal attacks. The entire system has to be protected by hierarchically graded monitoring, by embedded sensors and its corresponding microcontrollers. The development of the packaging and interconnection technology is supplemented by non-destructive testing methods that monitor the integrity of the protective mechanisms. The approach pursued here does not require any modification of the structure of the circuits to be protected and can be combined with all safety-critical application circuits. With this cost-effective solution, small series production is also economically feasible. Finally, at the platform-level, overreaching issues are investigated within the three pillars, namely design, production and analysis of the microelectronic value chain. The platform concentrates predominantly on contributions to the necessary standardization. This enables companies effectively to support the supply of trustworthy electronics, especially with regard to small series.