  Artifact metrics is an information security technology that uses the
intrinsic characteristics of a physical object for authentication and clone
resistance. Here, we demonstrate nano-artifact metrics based on silicon
nanostructures formed via an array of resist pillars that randomly collapse
when exposed to electron-beam lithography. The proposed technique uses
conventional and scalable lithography processes, and because of the random
collapse of resist, the resultant structure has extremely fine-scale morphology
with a minimum dimension below 10 nm, which is less than the resolution of
current lithography capabilities. By evaluating false match, false non-match
and clone-resistance rates, we clarify that the nanostructured patterns based
on resist collapse satisfy the requirements for high-performance security
applications.
