Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

Date of Award

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.S.

Department

Computer and Information Science

Committee Chair

Jeffrey T. McDonald, Ph.D.

Abstract

Due to the increase in diverse chip production over the past decade, reverse engineering has become a difficult and daunting task. This research develops a methodology for microchip design recovery, seeking to validate and reproduce prior approaches to physical reverse engineering using low-cost tools and techniques. We used mechanical hardware abrasion tools and techniques to delayer and capture silicon integrated chip (IC) layout. We focused on the Mifare Classic EVl microchip, commonly implemented in public transit/transportation cards, to extract information for design recovery. The research explores limitations and advantages of mechanical abrasion and optical microscopy in context to modem chip technology. Our framework, which is marked largely by trial-and-error and manual steps, demonstrates that state-of-the-art integrated circuits require advanced tools for decapsulation, delayering, and imaging to be successful. The research provides foundations for further exploration of machine learning techniques for image stitching, segmentation, and netlist recovery as part of the design recovery process for an IC. The research provides a repeatable framework for integrating more advanced tools and equipment, which can be used as aids for counterfeit chip detection, validation and verification, and hardware assurance studies.

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