Secure PDK
Process Design Kits (PDKs) lie at the heart of semiconductor design. They contain detailed recipes for components, design rules, processes and more, giving engineers the data they need to design and verify circuits before sending them for production. Foundries spend billions developing new process technology and key details and secrets of their products are included in PDK files. However, despite the cost and value they contain, much of the data in PDKs are not secured, leaving foundry technology and customer circuits vulnerable to copying, theft and reverse-engineering.
Failure to secure PDKs exposes companies to incalculable losses through IP theft including a loss of technical leadership and product revenue. IN2FAB's secure PDK technology guards against theft and unauthorized use of foundry technology and semiconductor IP.
The emergence of photonics quantum computing and GAA technology places even more pressure on foundries and fabless companies to secure their IP and prevent advanced research being stolen and used by unauthorized competitors.
Protecting Critical IP with Secure PDK
IN2FAB's Secure PDK is a software package that provides license based protection to semiconductor IP. The software runs on the same network as EDA tools and controls access to PDKs via calls to FlexeraTM security software. PDK owners protect their technology by adding license calls to their existing PDK software, or using Secure PDK utilities to convert standard PDK files to secure versions. Once protected, the extra security in the PDK is entirely transparent to authorized users.
1. Access Control & Authorization
- Ensure only legitimate users and teams can access specific PDKs, IP cores, or design files.
- Role-based licensing allows fine-grained control over who can access specific components, features or other sensitive data.
2. Encryption & Anti-Tamper Protections
- Advanced encryption mechanisms safeguard IP against reverse engineering and unauthorized modifications.
- Tamper-resistant software prevents unauthorized users accessing data by bypassing license security.
3. Flexible Licensing Models
- Support for various licensing models, including time-based, usage-based, floating, and token-based licenses, ensuring that IP usage aligns with business goals.
- Secure cloud-based and on-premise licensing options provide flexibility without compromising security.
Seamless Security and Integration
Secure PDK provides an integrated link between PDKs built for tools from Cadence Design Systems and license technology from FlexeraTM. The software protects multiple circuit elements from unauthorized access including:
- schematic symbols
- layout Pcells
- CDF
- standard cells (schematic and layout)
License calls are completely transparent and legitimate users can access the PDK without restriction. Attempts to use the PDK without a license will lead to its contents being blocked, protecting both PDK and circuits that have been built from its contents. Library access is controlled through standard FlexeraTM license files which define valid hosts, time limits, number of users and more.
Existing Skill files can be protected simply by adding Secure PDK instructions to control access or restrict certain features. Legacy libraries can be converted automatically to secure versions through Secure PDK utilities.
Advanced PDKs
Advanced technologies are delivering faster and more efficient products for high performance computing and AI. New devices and evolving circuits present difficult challenges to designers and manufacturers, leading to innovation in circuit design and component construction.
Secure PDK's data management and conversion tools translate new and legacy PDKs to secure versions at the touch of a button. Graphical schematic and layout data along with CDF parameters are converted into secure format and wrapped in license calls before being compiled to a context file.
Protecting the PDK also provides security to the circuits built using them. Schematic and layout data for IP and full chips will show empty boxes instead of components unless a valid PDK license is present. Secure PDK prevents theft, copying and counterfeiting of proprietary designs and circuits for complete peace of mind.
Protection and Security
Protecting the data in PDKs for advanced semiconductors like FinFET, Gate-All-Around (GAA), photonics and quantum is critical for maintaining technological leadership. Symbols, parameters and layout for core components describe full details of component construction and manufacturing, while standard cell libraries contain the details of countless digital circuits.
An unauthorized or hostile user could cause severe damage to the technical ecosystem by gaining access to circuit design files. From replication and counterfeiting to inserting malicious alterations, critical circuits including military, financial or infrastructure products could be compromised.
Secure PDK mitigates this risk by preventing the files being used without a license, even if they are stolen from their original owner.
Securing the Technology Revolution
Failing to secure PDKs exposes semiconductor companies to intellectual property theft and tens of millions of Dollars in losses. Unauthorized users can back reverse engineer the components in the PDK to develop their own manufacturing technology, and counterfeiters can modify and adapt existing circuits to their own purposes.
Unauthorized technology access or intellectual property theft can lead to enormous financial losses, weakened market positions, compromised product integrity and even damage national security.
Adversarial nations and cybercriminals can exploit unsecured PDKs to reverse-engineer critical infrastructure or bypass export controls, threatening the research and investment in advanced technology.
Securing PDK technology is a critical step in protecting innovation, maintaining economic and national security, and preserving a competitive edge in a rapidly evolving global landscape.
