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Atomic-scale Authentication with Resonant Tunneling Diodes

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Abstract

The room temperature electronic characteristics of resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs) containing AlAs/InGaAs quantum wells are studied. Differences in the peak current and voltages, associated with device-to-device variations in the structure and width of the quantum well are analyzed. A method to use these differences between devices is introduced and shown to uniquely identify each of the individual devices under test. This investigation shows that quantum confinement in RTDs allows them to operate as physical unclonable functions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Physics Department, Lancaster University, LA1 4YB, Lancaster, UK

    J. Roberts, N. Hulbert, Y. J. Noori, C. S. Woodhead & R. J. Young

  2. School of Computing and Communications, Lancaster University, LA1 4YB, Lancaster, UK

    I. E. Bagci & U. Roedig

  3. School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Manchester, M13 9PL, UK

    M. A. M. Zawawi, J. Sexton, M. Missous & M. A. Migliorato

Authors
  1. J. Roberts
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  2. I. E. Bagci
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  3. M. A. M. Zawawi
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  4. J. Sexton
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  5. N. Hulbert
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  6. Y. J. Noori
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  7. C. S. Woodhead
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  8. M. Missous
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  9. M. A. Migliorato
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  10. U. Roedig
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  11. R. J. Young
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Roberts, J., Bagci, I., Zawawi, M. et al. Atomic-scale Authentication with Resonant Tunneling Diodes. MRS Advances 1, 1625–1629 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1557/adv.2016.156

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/adv.2016.156

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