High Performance Microchip Supply - Under Secretary of Defense ...

FINDINGS ___________________________________________________________________
fully custom integrated circuits and gate array class devices. While
these devices are potentially corruptible, they provide superiority in
functionality, speed, and power consumption. Ensuring that these are
truly trusted devices is of the utmost importance.
Processes under control of the Foundry
Figure 5
Processes under control of the mask maker
The design of an ASIC device is a complex process involving a
team of engineers that includes specialists in software, firmware,
system architecture, timing, circuit and device design, and testing. In
Figure 5, the ASIC design is enclosed in the black dashed line and
mask making in red. The activities in these stages are those that entail
direct access to the chip design database and are thus very high risk,
as is delivery of the completed chips. The green box encloses the
fabrication steps under control of the foundry, where unauthorized
process changes and outright substitutions are also possible. The
green-enclosed area is the portion of the ASIC chip design and
fabrication chain the Trusted Foundry Program is intended to protect.
38 _________________________________________________________ DSB TASK FORCE ON