Bright and stable anti-counterfeiting devices with independent stochastic processes covering multiple length scales

Junfang Zhang, Adam Creamer, Kai Xie, Jiaqing Tang, Luke Salter, Jonathan P. Wojciechowski and Molly M. Stevens ()
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Junfang Zhang: Institute of Biomedical Engineering Imperial College London
Adam Creamer: Institute of Biomedical Engineering Imperial College London
Kai Xie: Institute of Biomedical Engineering Imperial College London
Jiaqing Tang: Institute of Biomedical Engineering Imperial College London
Luke Salter: Institute of Biomedical Engineering Imperial College London
Jonathan P. Wojciechowski: Institute of Biomedical Engineering Imperial College London
Molly M. Stevens: Institute of Biomedical Engineering Imperial College London

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract Physical unclonable functions (PUFs) are considered the most promising approach to address the global issue of counterfeiting. Current PUF devices are often based on a single stochastic process, which can be broken, especially since their practical encoding capacities can be significantly lower than the theoretical value. Here we present stochastic PUF devices with features across multiple length scales, which incorporate semiconducting polymer nanoparticles (SPNs) as fluorescent taggants. The SPNs exhibit high brightness, photostability and size tunability when compared to the current state-of-the-art taggants. As a result, they are easily detectable and highly resilient to UV radiation. By embedding SPNs in photoresists, we generate PUFs consisting of nanoscale (distribution of SPNs within microspots), microscale (fractal edges on microspots), and macroscale (random microspot array) designs. With the assistance of a deep-learning model, the resulting PUFs show both near-ideal performance and accessibility for general end users, offering a strategy for next-generation security devices.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-55646-4

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