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Tamper Sensor Using a Metastable Magnetic Array

Award Information

Agency:
Department of Defense 		Branch:
Army 		Award ID:
73683 		Program Year/Program:
2005 / SBIR
Agency Tracking Number:
A043-169-0555 		Solicitation Year:
N/A 		Solicitation Topic Code:
N/A 		Solicitation Number:
N/A
Small Business Information
NVE CORP. (FORMERLY NONVOLATILE ELECTRONICS, INC.
11409 Valley View Road Eden Prairie, MN -
View profile »
Woman-Owned: No
Minority-Owned: No
HUBZone-Owned: No
 
Phase 1
Fiscal Year: 2005
Title: Tamper Sensor Using a Metastable Magnetic Array
Agency / Branch: DOD / ARMY
Contract: W31P4Q-05-C-R131
Award Amount: $119,990.00
 

Abstract:

This Phase I SBIR program will design and manufacture a unique anti-tamper device determines when adversarial acquisition or exploitation of U.S. analog and/or digital circuit components has been made by monitoring circuit activity. The sensor operates as a sensitive switch. The state of the switch is determined by the configuration of an array of lithographically defined magnetic elements. If the anti-tamper device is enabled, activity in sensitive circuits produces a current pulse and a magnetic field that realigns an element in the array from an initially metastable configuration. The state of the switch is read electrically and can be used to trigger an alarm or the destruction of the device. The array's design prevents the reinitializing of the magnetic elements into the original configuration without direct access to the device or the knowledge of a predetermined programming current value. External magnetic fields, above an ambient threshold, will trigger the sensor but cannot be used to reset the device. The proposed device combines emerging magnetic storage and sensor technologies with state-of-the-art microelectronic manufacturing. This allows the device to be very small, highly adaptable, and reliable. It can be put into a custom package or fully integrated into other circuit components at the wafer level.

Principal Investigator:

Peter Eames
Research Scientist
9529181155
peames@nve.com

Business Contact:

Richard George
CFO
9529961602
dickg@nve.com
Small Business Information at Submission:

NVE CORP. (FORMERLY NONVOLATILE ELECTRONICS, INC.
11409 Valley View Road Eden Prairie, MN 55344

EIN/Tax ID: 411424202
DUNS: N/A
Number of Employees:
Woman-Owned: No
Minority-Owned: No
HUBZone-Owned: No