Abstract: A shielding device includes optical and/or electrical shielding disposed on the side of the integrated circuit in the semiconductor chip facing the substrate. Preferred configurations use an SOI substrate with the integrated circuit in the body silicon layer and the insulator layer as a device for optical shielding from the bulk silicon layer. Electrical conductors may be present as an optical and electrical shielding device in the bulk silicon layer, and they may be connected to the circuit using vias.

Abstract: A security module for use with a terminal comprises a data interface adapted to be coupled to a terminal, for receiving at least part of an algorithm code or the complete algorithm code from the terminal, as well as an energy interface for receiving supply energy. A volatile memory coupled to the energy interface in order to have energy supplied thereto stores the part of the algorithm code or the complete algorithm code received via the data interface, with a processor performing the algorithm code in order to obtain an algorithm code result that can be delivered to the terminal. Due to the storing of at least part of an algorithm code in the volatile memory of the security module, according to the invention, the algorithm code of the security module is effectively protected against spying out by a potential attacker.

Abstract: An integrated circuit is formed on a non-planar substrate. The integrated circuit is formed over a plurality of layers. Chemical or physical changes in the microstructure of the substrate cause the bending of the substrate, in one or more propagation directions.

Abstract: A processor comprises a computation unit for performing an operation at a speed and a state unit, which has a state which changes in response to execution of an operation by the computation unit, the speed of the computation unit being controlled according to the state of the state unit. The state unit can e.g. be a capacitor or a unit with a thermal capacitance and controlling the speed of the computation unit can e.g. be effected via the frequency of a clock rate. In cryptographic applications the state unit is preferably so designed that the speed decreases when an operation is executed.

Abstract: During the creation of wiring plans for logic modules, the regions which are left free of interconnects by synthesis methods in upper metal planes are filled to a maximum degree with further interconnects. These interconnects serve to protect the integrated circuit. These further interconnects, depending on the availability of components for driving or evaluation, are embodied as sensor interconnects or else as connectionless interconnects only to confuse potential hackers.