Reward-based Blockchain Infrastructure for 3D IC Supply Chain Provenance

TL;DR

This paper proposes a blockchain-based system with a dual-layer trust model to secure and trace the provenance of 2.5D/3D ICs and chiplets across multiple supply chain blockchain consortiums, enhancing security and trust.

Contribution

It introduces a novel dual-layer blockchain approach with a multi-chain reputation scheme for secure, transparent, and trustworthy IC supply chain provenance across diverse blockchain networks.

Findings

Enables traceability of ICs across multiple blockchain consortiums.

Implements a reputation scheme to assess trustworthiness of transactions.

Enhances security and integrity of the semiconductor supply chain.

Abstract

In response to the growing demand for enhanced performance and power efficiency, the semiconductor industry has witnessed a paradigm shift toward heterogeneous integration, giving rise to 2.5D/3D chips. These chips incorporate diverse chiplets, manufactured globally and integrated into a single chip. Securing these complex 2.5D/3D integrated circuits (ICs) presents a formidable challenge due to inherent trust issues within the semiconductor supply chain. Chiplets produced in untrusted locations may be susceptible to tampering, introducing malicious circuits that could compromise sensitive information. This paper introduces an innovative approach that leverages blockchain technology to establish traceability for ICs and chiplets throughout the supply chain. Given that chiplet manufacturers are dispersed globally and may operate within different blockchain consortiums, ensuring the integrity of data within each blockchain ledger becomes imperative. To address this, we propose a novel dual-layer approach for establishing distributed trust across diverse blockchain ledgers. The lower layer comprises of a blockchain-based framework for IC supply chain provenance that enables transactions between blockchain instances run by different consortiums, making it possible to trace the complete provenance DAG of each IC. The upper layer implements a multi-chain reputation scheme that assigns reputation scores to entities while specifically accounting for high-risk transactions that cross blockchain trust zones. This approach enhances the credibility of the blockchain data, mitigating potential risks associated with the use of multiple consortiums and ensuring a robust foundation for securing 2.5D/3D ICs in the evolving landscape of heterogeneous integration.