Project Grant 2141176

This Project Grant from the National Science Foundation will support the development of embedded radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to secure the semiconductor supply chain. Awarded $249,767 under the NSF's Engineering program (CFDA 47.041), the grant will fund North Carolina State University researchers to design and prototype an RFID circuit that can be incorporated into semiconductor chips. The circuit will store a unique identification number and cryptographically generate a query response from a reader within 0.5 cm, with identification completed in under 0.2 seconds while maintaining minimal sensitivity to alignment. The prototype will demonstrate the complete RFID block and communication system using a semiconductor foundry's design kit and commercial fabrication, with the goal of enabling chips to be authenticated and tracked throughout the supply chain to combat counterfeiting. This supports the NSF's mission to advance engineering innovation and addresses the national security threat posed by counterfeit integrated circuits.