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I think decapping doesn't necessarily render the chip inoperable, there's some research around attacking tamper resistant hardware and probing the decapped chip
by fulafel 3y ago
I think decapping doesn't necessarily render the chip inoperable, there's some research around attacking tamper resistant hardware and probing the decapped chips while powered on. But you have to be more careful about it of course. Also do all techniques require decapping? Seems in principle you could navigate by x-ray and fix traces disconnected by electromigration efuses using ion beam/implantation, possibly through the packaging.
edit: here's someone talking about running decapped chips. https://electronics.stackexchange.com/a/400899 https://electronics.stackexchange.com/a/400899
- rpmisms 3y agoI love when chip people pipe up on HN, because it reminds me that we absolutely do magic with silicon and most of us don't think twice about it.
- fragmede 3y agonever let Cunningham's law get n your own way ;)
- ZiiS 3y agoIf you have a ion beam you can probably afford to just buy working and supported cores.
- jorvi 3y ago> You could try throwing a bundle of chips in boiling acid and see what comes out. But my guess is the bond pads will not be usable anymore. Decapping with extreme prejudice.
- pjc50 3y ago> possibly through the packaging. Not if somebody's put a metal layer on top of it. You can only meaningfully fiddle with the top surface of a decapped chip.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]