Fingerprinting Architecture based on a MEMS Varactor Array for Hardware Security

Inhalt:
With the growing interconnection of industrial systems in the context of the Internet of Things (IoT), hardware-based security mechanisms for ensuring the integrity and authenticity of system components are gaining importance. This work presents a MEMS-based (MEMS, Micro-Electro-Mechanical System) fingerprint approach that serves as a hardware security element in embedded systems. At its core is an analog Physically Unclonable Function (PUF) based on an array of MEMS varactors. Intentional technological variation generates a unique fingerprint from the capacitive behavior of individual varactors. Fingerprint electronics handle key generation, control, and communication with a RISC-V Trusted Execution Environment (TEE). The approach offers a scalable and robust solution for protecting IoT systems against manipulation and unauthorized component replacement.