Nanostructures are being investigated for information and hardware security by utilizing device level physical randomness and imperfections induced during fabrication. Nanoscale electronic circuits composed of molecules are a potential alternative to standard hardware security approaches that allow additional degrees of freedom and may also overcome device scaling limitations. Here, we present results of random key generation using self-assembled colloidal gold particles interconnected with tunable ratios of thiolated molecules, formed between interdigitated electrodes. Electronic transport measurements on these organic-inorganic networks showed variations in the resistance of the network when different electrode pairs were probed. By comparing adjacent resistances, arrays of binary bits were generated, which can be used as encryption keys. Modeling of electronic transport through the interconnected molecular network structures for random key generation and potential applications will also be presented. These molecular electronic networks combine ease of fabrication with a broad choice of network building blocks, enabling their utilization in hardware security.

Random key generation using self-assembled nanoparticle-molecular networks

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

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