Photopatterned electrospun conductive polymer networks with preserved stochasticity for physically unclonable functions

초록

Electrospun polymers inherently exhibit irregular, unpredictable fiber arrangements, yet few existing approaches preserve this stochastic structure while forming specified microscale patterns. Here, we introduce an electrospun conductive polymer system that integrates polyurethane acrylate (PUA) - polyaniline (PANI) electrospinning with UV-induced photopatterning, enabling the definition of device regions without altering the inherent fiber morphology. These patterned regions remain electrically conductive, enable stable resistance measurements, and exhibit resistance that varies with electrospinning duration while retaining intrinsic stochasticity. The combination of preserved randomness and stable and adjustable electrical behavior enables each region to produce distinct responses suitable for physically unclonable function (PUF) operation. Using these characteristics, we demonstrate PUF devices that generate unique, high-entropy bit patterns, exhibit near-ideal inter-device uniqueness, and maintain stable outputs under repeated measurements. A multi-electrode configuration further increases the number of measurable outputs per device while maintaining response uniformity. This study establishes a polymer-based PUF platform that combines intrinsic structural variability, tunable electrical characteristics, and reliable microscale pattern definition, offering a promising pathway toward flexible and low-cost hardware security technologies.

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