Reverse Engineering Flash EEPROM Memories Using Scanning Electron Microscopy

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• 关键词：Reverse engineering ; Flash EEPROM ; Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) ; Passive Voltage Contrast (PVC)
• 刊名：Lecture Notes in Computer Science
• 出版年：2017
• 出版时间：2017
• 年：2017
• 卷：10146
• 期：1
• 页码：57-72
• 丛书名：Smart Card Research and Advanced Applications
• ISBN：978-3-319-54669-8
• 卷排序：10146

文摘

In this article, a methodology to extract Flash EEPROM memory contents is presented. Samples are first backside prepared to expose the tunnel oxide of floating gate transistors. Then, a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) in the so called Passive Voltage Contrast (PVC) mode allows distinguishing ‘0’ and ‘1’ bit values stored in individual memory cell. Using SEM operator-free acquisition and standard image processing technique we demonstrate the possible automating of such technique over a full memory. The presented fast, efficient and low cost technique is successfully implemented on 0.35 \(\mu m\) technology node microcontrollers and on a 0.21 \(\mu m\) smart card type integrated circuit. The technique is at least two orders of magnitude faster than state-of-the-art Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM) methods. Without adequate protection an adversary could obtain the full memory array content within minutes. The technique is a first step for reverse engineering secure embedded systems.