Split-Chip Design to prevent IP Reverse Engineering

Editor’s notes: Split-chip design combines integrated circuits (ICs) from two or more disparate (trusted and untrusted) foundries to create an integrated system on a chip. This approach thwarts IP theft, hardware Trojan horse (HTH) insertion, and overbuilding by any single untrustworthy foundry. This study uses two silicon demonstration vehicles in 16-nm technology as proofs of the split-chip concept. — Ramesh Karri, New York University