Printing tamper evident security structures

Abstract

Examples relate to methods of printing a 3D printed tamper evident security structure for protecting a feature; the method comprising repeatedly: depositing a layer of build material; doping one or more than one region of the layer of build material using a dopant to influence a respective electrical attribute of one or more than one region associated with a graph of the structure; and agglomerating one or more than one selected portion of the layer of the build material, including the one or more than one doped region of the layer of build material, to form progressively the graph with a predetermined measurable electrical characteristic.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A 3D printed tamper evident security structure for housing a feature; the structure comprising an agglomerated base material bearing a dopant, having a predetermined electrical attribute, in one or more than one doped region of the base material forming at least a first graph; the first graph defining the security structure with a predetermined electrical characteristic. 
     
     
         2 . The 3D printed tamper evident security structure of  claim 1 , wherein a change in the predetermined electrical characteristic of the security structure indicates the security structure has been tampered. 
     
     
         3 . The 3D printed tamper evident security structure of  claim 2 , wherein the predetermined electrical characteristic comprises a predetermined electrical measurement. 
     
     
         4 . The 3D printed tamper evident security structure of  claim 3 , wherein the predetermined electrical measurement comprises one or multiple of: conductance, resistance, capacitance, and inductance. 
     
     
         5 . The 3D printed tamper evident security structure of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more than one doped region of the base material comprises a first doped region,
 and wherein the first graph comprises a fused and doped graphic line having a first portion with a serpentine configuration over the first doped region.   
     
     
         6 . The 3D printed tamper evident security structure of  claim 5 , wherein the serpentine configuration of the first portion of the fused and doped graphic line is a horizontal serpentine configuration. 
     
     
         7 . The 3D printed tamper evident security structure of  claim 6 , wherein the one or more than one doped region of the base material further comprises a second doped region,
 and wherein the fused and doped graphic line has a second portion with a vertical serpentine configuration over the second doped region.   
     
     
         8 . The 3D printed tamper evident security structure of  claim 7 , wherein an end of the first portion of the fused and doped graphic line is connected to an end of the second portion of the doped graphic line to form the first graph having the predetermined electrical characteristic. 
     
     
         9 . The 3D printed tamper evident security structure of  claim 7 , wherein the first and second portions of the fused and doped graphic line are either electrically coupled to or electrically isolated from each other. 
     
     
         10 . The 3D printed tamper evident security structure of  claim 7 , wherein the first and second portions of the fused and doped graphic line overlap each other. 
     
     
         11 . The 3D printed tamper evident security structure of  claim 1 , wherein the first graph comprises a fused and doped graphic line having first and second portions in different configurations. 
     
     
         12 . The 3D printed tamper evident security structure of  claim 11 , wherein the first and second portions are connected to each other to form the graph having the predetermined electrical characteristic. 
     
     
         13 . The 3D printed tamper evident security structure of  claim 11 , wherein the different configurations of the first and second portions are serpentine configurations in different orientations. 
     
     
         14 . The 3D printed tamper evident security structure of  claim 11 , wherein the first portion is over a first doped region of the one or more than one doped region of the base material,
 and wherein the second portion is over a second doped region of the one or more than one doped region of the base material.   
     
     
         15 . A 3D printed tamper evident security structure comprising:
 an agglomerated base material;   one or multiple regions within the agglomerated base material that are doped within a dopant; and   a fused and doped graphic line formed by the one or multiple doped regions, defining the security feature, and having a predetermined electrical measurement.   
     
     
         16 . The 3D printed tamper evident security structure of  claim 15 , wherein a change in the predetermined electrical measurement indicates the security structure has been tampered. 
     
     
         17 . The 3D printed tamper evident security structure of  claim 15 , wherein the fused and doped graphic line has first and second portions in different configurations. 
     
     
         18 . The 3D printed tamper evident security structure of  claim 17 , wherein the first and second portions are connected to each other to form the graph having the predetermined electrical characteristic. 
     
     
         19 . The 3D printed tamper evident security structure of  claim 17 , wherein the different configurations of the first and second portions are serpentine configurations in different orientations. 
     
     
         20 . The 3D printed tamper evident security structure of  claim 17 , wherein the first portion is over a first doped region of the one or more than one doped region of the base material,
 and wherein the second portion is over a second doped region of the one or more than one doped region of the base material.