Semiconductor chip and method for generating digital value using process variation

Abstract

Provided is a semiconductor chip to generate an identification key. The semiconductor chip may include a first inverter having a first logic threshold, a second inverter having a second logic threshold, and a first switch. The first switch may include a first terminal and a second terminal, and may short or open a connection between the first terminal and the second terminal according to a first input voltage value. An input terminal of the first inverter, an output terminal, and the first terminal of the first switch may be connected to a first node. An output terminal of the first inverter, an input terminal of the second inverter, and the second terminal of the first switch may be connected to a second node.

1 . A semiconductor chip comprising:
 N unit cells to output a digital value of N bits, where N denotes a natural number,   wherein each of the N unit cells includes a first element and a second element, and   an output of the first element is connected to an input of a second element, and an output of the second element is connected to an input of the first element to constitute a feedback structure, and   each of the N unit cells generates a one-bit identification key due to an electrical characteristic value difference between the first element and the second element.