Security challenges of MEMS devices in HI packaging

Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) and sensors are employed in numerous industries including automotive, medical, and communications, and they are at the core of sophisticated new features in the next generation of cellphones and wearables. The use of MEMS in consumer electronics is projected to develop further as their power consumption needs and form factors continue to improve and now satisfy many consumers application demands. However, the incorporation of MEMS into new applications poses security and reliability risks for heterogeneously integrated systems. Heterogeneous integration (HI) improves the functionality and operating capabilities of electronic devices by integrating individually fabricated components into a higher-level assembly. The inclusion of MEMS in HI increases the complexity of the electronics supply chain, making it vulnerable to a multitude of adversary threats. A rogue employee, for instance, might implant an active or passive hardware Trojan and exploit a denial of service (DoS) attack in the chip during the design and/or fabrication process. This study will first provide a detailed review of the MEMS and sensor-based heterogeneous integrated circuit applications, followed by an assessment of HI's potential security and reliability vulnerabilities in critical applications. Finally, we will provide insights to multiple physical-based inspection [2] techniques for assessment and authentication of HI electronics.