#OpenFabs Ground Up Rebuild [re: secure computer]

[Steven Schear]

Jim Bell and I commented some time ago on this dilemma. One obvious
solution is "table top" manufacture of VLSI.

As crazy as it sounds, for at least prototyping and small (CPunk) PoC
projects, its possible to fab a wide variety of chips, with impressive
feature sizes, implantation, doping, etc. using Electron Beam Lithography.
EBL is basically operating an electron microscope in reverse. Because it
uses electrons to illuminate the substrate vs. photons it doesn't require
any litho masks. The beams can directly write to the surfaces and with the
appropriate techniques expose chemicals that create the "resists" of
typical litho methods. Best of all, electron beams can be brought to a
sharper focus than even deep UV meaning small feature size capabilities.

The main reason EBL is only a tech oddity is its inability to be used for
volume manufacture. Maybe someone in this field will do an ICO. EBL can
potentially be operated by a much smaller staff (maybe a competent enough
individual) than even the smallest conventional fab. With at least small
scale manufacture and some careful design attention I think the list price
on a rig could be < $100k USD.

Steve

On Tue, Sep 12, 2017 at 11:33 PM, grarpamp <grarpamp at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Sun, Sep 10, 2017 at 1:53 AM, Ryan Carboni <ryacko at gmail.com> wrote:
> > In the end, you can only trust something you can understand, otherwise
> you
> > are trusting the word of someone else.
>
> While ultimately true, it is certainly possible to create a far more
> trustable model than the totally blind "We are the corp / gov
> (or any other closed source single point opaque authority,
> trade secret IPR, NDA), *You can trust us*" that idiots happily
> accept today.
>
> > the original computers used relays, switches, and wires to be programmed.
>
> There can be parallel lines of open inspection and cross
> certification of fully open ground up rebuilds all the way
> to current HW and SW products... ie: Processor, OS.
>
> The rebuild path, both of tooling itself and product, from relays
> to vacuum tubes to silicon to gigagate masks is already known
> form history, thus requires zero research.
>
> The research is in how to do the rebuild under a model that
> imparts explicit open reliable reviewable documented n-man
> rule realtime operating and historical chain of reasonably
> bulletproof trust.
>
> #OpenFabs, #OpenHW, #OpenSW
>
> Such a project could be seeded and continuously funded by
>
> #CryptoCurrencies, #DAOs, #EarlyAdopters, #CypherPunks,
> and eventually, sales of product runs
>
> None of today's opaque HW gates are remotely trustworthy,
> any attempts to impart trust to them are no more than foolish
> speculation.
>



-- 
Creator of the Warrant Canary and the Street Performer Protocol. Wi-Fi
standard spec. creation participant and co-developer of eCache. Director at
MojoNation and Cylink. Founding member of IFCA and GNU Radio.

Shameless self-promoter :)
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