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A high-speed true random number generator based on Ag/SiNx/n-Si memristor

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Abstract

The intrinsic variability of memristor switching behavior can be used as a natural source of randomness, this variability is valuable for safe applications in hardware, such as the true random number generator (TRNG). However, the speed of TRNG is still be further improved. Here, we propose a reliable Ag/SiNx/n-Si volatile memristor, which exhibits a typical threshold switching device with stable repeat ability and fast switching speed. This volatile-memristor-based TRNG is combined with nonlinear feedback shift register (NFSR) to form a new type of high-speed dual output TRNG. Interestingly, the bit generation rate reaches a high speed of 112 kb/s. In addition, this new TRNG passed all 15 National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) randomness tests without post-processing steps, proving its performance as a hardware security application. This work shows that the SiNx-based volatile memristor can realize TRNG and has great potential in hardware network security.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the National Key R&D Plan “Nano Frontier” Key Special Project (Grant No. 2021YFA1200502), Cultivation Projects of National Major R&D Project (Grant No. 92164109), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 61874158, 62004056, and 62104058), the Special Project of Strategic Leading Science and Technology of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. XDB44000000-7), Key R&D Plan Projects in Hebei Province (Grant No. 22311101D), Hebei Basic Research Special Key Project (Grant No. F2021201045), the Support Program for the Top Young Talents of Hebei Province (Grant No. 70280011807), the Supporting Plan for 100 Excellent Innovative Talents in Colleges and Universities of Hebei Province (Grant No. SLRC2019018), the Interdisciplinary Research Program of Natural Science of Hebei University (No. DXK202101), the Institute of Life Sciences and Green Development (No. 521100311), the Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province (Nos. F2022201054 and F2021201022), the Outstanding Young Scientific Research and Innovation Team of Hebei University (Grant No. 605020521001), the Special Support Funds for National High Level Talents (Grant No. 041500120001), the Advanced Talents Incubation Program of the Hebei University (Grant Nos. 521000981426, 521100221071, and 521000981363), and the Science and Technology Project of Hebei Education Department (Grant Nos. QN2020178 and QN2021026).

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  1. These authors contributed equally to the work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Life Science and Green Development, Key Laboratory of Brain-Like Neuromorphic Devices and Systems of Hebei Province, College of Electron and Information Engineering, Hebei University, Baoding, 071002, China

    Xiaobing Yan, Zixuan Zhang, Zhiyuan Guan, Ziliang Fang, Yinxing Zhang, Jianhui Zhao, Jiameng Sun, Xu Han, Jiangzhen Niu, Lulu Wang, Xiaotong Jia, Yiduo Shao, Zhen Zhao, Zhenqiang Guo & Bing Bai

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  1. Xiaobing Yan
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  2. Zixuan Zhang
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Correspondence to Xiaobing Yan.

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Yan, X., Zhang, Z., Guan, Z. et al. A high-speed true random number generator based on Ag/SiNx/n-Si memristor. Front. Phys. 19, 13202 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-023-1331-1

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