Protecting integrated circuits (ICs) from piracy and theft throughout their lifecycle is a persistent and complex challenge. In order to safeguard against illicit piracy attacks, this work proposes a novel framework utilizing Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) called ICtokens, uniquely linked to their corresponding physical ICs. Each ICtoken contains comprehensive information, including authentication data, supply chain stage and status, ownership details, and other IC metadata, while also making provision for the secure integration of a logic-locking key. Designed to be publicly logged, ICtokens securely obscure metering information without compromising functionality. In addition, the ICtracker, a distributed ledger technology powered by a swift and energy-efficient consortium blockchain, is used to register and manage ICtokens and their respective owners, tracking all associated interactions. This robust ledger guarantees the traceability and auditing of ICtokens while simultaneously developing a product-level NFT at every transaction point within the supply chain. Consequently, a scalable framework is established, creating unique, immutable digital twins for ICs and IC-embedded products in the form of ICtokens and their transactions. This provides a robust and reliable supply chain trail back to the original IP owner, while also offering unprecedented assurance to consumers of IC-embedded products. The rich information contained within ICtokens facilitates more detailed audits than previous proposals for IC supply chain monitoring. A proof-of-concept, implemented as an open-source solution, ensures the ease of adoption of the proposed framework.

翻译：在集成电路（IC）的整个生命周期中，防止其被盗版和窃取是一项持续且复杂的挑战。为防范非法盗版攻击，本研究提出一种利用非同质化代币（NFT）的新型框架，称为ICtoken，其与对应的物理IC唯一绑定。每个ICtoken包含完整的信息，包括认证数据、供应链阶段与状态、所有权详情及其他IC元数据，同时为逻辑锁定密钥的安全集成提供了支持。ICtoken设计为公开记录，能在不损害功能的前提下安全地隐藏计量信息。此外，本研究采用一种由快速节能的联盟区块链驱动的分布式账本技术——ICtracker，用于注册和管理ICtoken及其所有者，并追踪所有相关交互。该健壮的账本确保了ICtoken的可追溯性与可审计性，同时在供应链的每个交易节点生成产品层级的NFT。由此，建立了一个可扩展的框架，以ICtoken及其交易的形式为IC及IC嵌入式产品创建了唯一且不可篡改的数字孪生体。这为回溯至原始IP所有者提供了健壮可靠的供应链追溯路径，同时也为IC嵌入式产品的消费者提供了前所未有的保障。ICtoken所包含的丰富信息使得供应链审计的详细程度超越了先前提出的IC供应链监控方案。作为开源解决方案实现的概念验证，确保了所提框架易于采用。