Counterfeit Component Detection

The Challenge

Counterfeit components entering electronic supply chains is a longstanding problem with the fake semiconductor industry being estimated to be in the billions in size and in 2013 counterfeit electronics worth $145 million were seized by the U.S. Government. OEMs in all sectors are at risk, even the military isn’t immune with a report in 2012 by the Senate Armed Services Committee uncovering 1,800 cases of counterfeit parts involving over one million units. The risk to OEMs is mostly due to pressures of supply and demand. Purchasing within the authorized supply channel guarantees visibility and trust, however component shortages can drive OEMs to use unauthorized channels. Here there is a lack of traceability providing counterfeits an opportunity to enter the supply chain.

The Solution

X-ray Inspection and Acoustic Micro Imaging

High resolution X-ray inspection takes you beyond optical imaging, enabling users to instantly see inside incoming components and compare what they see with images from known good components.
Components which look identical from the outside will often have internal differences if they are from a different manufacturer or product line.

Acoustic imaging complements X-ray techniques by providing information on different aspects of component integrity to help identify counterfeits.