CMOS THz-ID: A 1.6-mm² Package-Less Identification Tag Using Asymmetric Cryptography and 260-GHz Far-Field Backscatter Communication

This article presents an ultra-small, high-security identification tag that is entirely built in a CMOS chip without external components. The usage of backscatter communications at 260 GHz enables full integration 2 × patch antenna array. For compactness and minimum interference caused by direct wave reflection, the signal frequency-shifted MHz radiated with cross polarization from same Such configuration also, for first time RF tags, beamsteering enhanced link budget. authentication secure wireless data transmission, also integrates compact elliptic-curve-cryptography (ECC) dedicated processor, which based on narrow-strong private protocol. presented has peak power consumption 21 μW can be powered chip-wide array photodiodes DC-DC converter. Using low-cost 65-nm bulk technology, terahertz (THz) ID area only 1.6 mm 2 demonstrates measured downlink speed 100 kb/s upload across 5-cm distance reader. tag-reader authentication/communication protocol fully demonstrated using partially tag-integrated photo-voltaic powering. size smallest among all prior radio-frequency identifications (RFIDs) far-field communications.