Microcontroller IC MCU Unlock is a complicate process which involve different processes from IC de-capsulation to internal integrated circuit restoration. Accompany with the development of microcontroller design technology, the cost of unlock microcontroller embedded firmware increase simultaneously.
Decades ago we can unlock any points on the microcontroller whatever manufacturer is belongs to by laser cutting and simple microprobe, as for the more advanced deep sub-micron microcontroller can’t do without the extraordinary and expensive unlock technology which has bring obstacle to a lot of cracker.
Such as the PIC16F877 from MICROCHIP can be observed and execute the reverse engineering, the second metal layer and poly-silicon layer which hidden beneath the top metal layer can be seen by optical microprobe and microcopy.
But in the microcontroller of PIC16F887A from MICROCHIP which apply levelness technology to prevent unlock microcontroller and makes it much more difficult to see the latter layers. The only way is using physical or chemical processing to remove the top metal layer.
Another way need to pay attention is the great amount of microcontroller manufacturing and test facilities available on the market, although it can’t be used to unlock the high end microcontroller, but it is quite enough to unlock microcontroller made from the old days with old technology.