From: doug@netcom.com (Doug Merritt)
Date: Tue, 9 Nov 93 20:08:45 PST
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Info on Clipper chip and fabrication of it
Message-ID: <199311100408.UAA07785@mail.netcom.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


tcmay@netcom.com (Timothy C. May) quoted someone else saying:
>VLSI progammable logic (EEprom based?) is used to both
>store the keys, and provide some other logic functions, so you can't read
>anything if you take the chip apart. I don't think any other exotic
>technologies are used. Mykotronix designs the mask- they're fabricated at
>VLSI.

What about triple layer metal interconnect? If they're serious about
making it reverse-engineering-resistant, they'd do that even if it
weren't functionally needed, simply to make it STM-opaque. I think (but
am not sure) that VLSI has that technology in their current fab lines.

I suppose that it's not quite "exotic" by now; maybe that's just assumed
as obvious?
	Doug