Anti-counterfeit Techniques: From Design to Resign

Abstract

The emerging threat of counterfeit electronic components has become a major challenge over the past decade. To address this growing concern, a suite of tests for the detection of such parts has been created. However, due to the large test time and cost, it is fairly difficult to implement them. Moreover, the presence of different types of counterfeits in the supply chain - recycled, remarked, overproduced, out-of-spec/defective, cloned, forged documentation, and tampered - makes the detection even more challenging. In this paper, we present a detailed taxonomy of counterfeit types to analyze the vulnerabilities in the electronic component supply chain. We then present the state of knowledge on anti-counterfeit technologies to help prevent counterfeit components from ever entering into the supply chain and to provide capabilities for easy detection.