Innovative Anti-Tamper Power Source

Qynergy Corporation proposes to develop a unique power system for anti-tamper (AT) applications. AT technology is used to protect critical technology from being reverse engineered. Tamper detection mechanisms consist of switches or sensors. An innovative power source is needed to provide latent power to these systems, which require a constant low amount of power over the life of the fielded system and short-term high power to activate a response when tampering is detected. The power source needs to last >10 years, be radiation hard and operate in extreme temperature conditions of -55 to +95ºC. Utilizing semiconductor devices called betavoltaics, Qynergy has developed a unique technology that converts energy from beta-emitting radioisotopes into usable power. This QynCell™ is capable of delivering small amounts of power (micro to milliwatts) for long periods of time. The QynCell is a solid state device and is hence capable of operating under the extreme temperature conditions necessary for anti-tamper applications. The QynCell would be integrated with a battery or a capacitor to create a hybrid power source called a QynPack™, which would provide both the constant low amount of power for the AT sensor and the short high burst power for the response system.