5 easy steps to Spot Counterfeit Electronic Components

1. Check the surface of the integrated circuit chip

a.If the chip is polished，the surface will have a few fine lines, and even previously printed marks.

b.In order to cover up the lines, Some businesses even coating a layer on the chip surface , which cause the surfac looks shinier. 

2.Look at the marking

Nowadays, most of chips are using laser marking ,which means that the marking will be clear, neither conspicuous nor blurred and difficult to erase.

On the process of refurbishment，the edges of the marking will be cleaned by chemical detergent .As a result,  the marking of the refurbished chips is fuzzy,with different shades,incorrect location and easy to erase.

In addition, the screen printing process has been eliminated by most IC manufacturers.But for the refurbishment businesses, they still use the screen printing process to reduce cost .And the marking will be slightly higher than the surface of the chip.when you slightly touch it ,you will feel uneven on the surface.

The main method is to observing the coordination of the wholemarking,including the writing and the background, the old and new degree of the pin. If the marking is too new or too clear, there may be problems.

3.Look at the pin

The pin of original parts should be silver powder feet, darker color but uniform color, the surface should not have traces of oxidation. 

In addition, the pins of the DIP should not have scratches, even if there is repackaging, the scratches should be neat in the same direction,with no oxidation in the metal exposure.

4.Look at the use of traces

For example, screws are used for fixed devices, which can be re-electroplated on the surface of the device, but cannot recover the fixed hole.Linear company LT1084CK, batch NO. 9959, the inspection found that the hole diameter of the fixed hole was large with indentations, as shown in picture 5.

5. Look at the device production date and package factory label

The markings of the original components, include the labels on the underside of the chip, should be consistent,that means the manufacturing time must matches the device datasheets,while the  refurbished paper labels are in disorder or with various production date. Sometimes,the chip of Remark is consistent with the positive label, but the production date will not consistent with the device.

6. Measure the device thickness and look at the device edge

Many of the original laser printing polished refurbished film (mostly power devices) because to remove the original mark, you must burnish deeper, so the overall thickness of the device will be significantly smaller than the normal size, but not contrast or caliper measurement, the general lack of experience or Difficult to distinguish. But there is a little trick to look at the front edge of the device. Plastic injection molding device due to be "mold", so the device is a rounded corner (R angle), but the size is not big, it is easy to polish the grinding process is rounded at right angles, so the front edge once the device is right angle , Can be judged as polished goods.

Because of the need to remove the original tag,the components must is polished deeper.As the result, the overall thickness of the device will be much smaller than normal size, but it is hard to identify for inexperienced buyer.Here's a trick - Looking at the front edge of the device.

After encapsulation injection molding ,the device must be "release", so the device edge horn is round (R), but the size is not big, It is easy to grind the rounded corner into a right Angle in the process of polishing.If the front edge of the device is at a right Angle,it can be judged for the refurbished goods.

If some of the chips we can not judge with the naked eye and experience, we can use some technical tools ，such as magnifying glass and digital magnifier,please pay attention to the following points:

a. look at the marking：the marking of the general refurbished goods can be erased with chemical diluent,but the original parts can not be erased.

b. look at the lead angle: the original cargo pins are very neat,likes a straight line, while the renovation of some are not properly processed.

c. look at the positioning hole:the positioning hole of original goods are more consistent, some of the renovations in different depths or simply a polished flat. 

Author：Brittany Antonia （The author of article owns the copyright.）