Hardware Trojan prevention using layout-level design approach

Hardware Trojans (HTs) are ultimately a dangerous threat in semiconductor industry. The serious impact of HTs in security applications and global economy brings extreme importance to their detection and prevention techniques. This paper focuses on developing a HT prevention techniques through a layout level design approach. The principle is to let no available space on silicon for an attacker to insert a HT. Experiments determine the maximum occupational rate and critical empty spaces while filling with standard cells. The proposed technique makes HT insertion nearly impossible.