Magnetically Oriented Structural Color Marking for Avoidance of Counterfeit Electronic Parts

Electronic component counterfeiting is a serious problem for the DOD and for electronics companies more generally. Currently available authentication techniques offer partial solutions to the problem and cannot be broadly deployed across the complex DOD supply chain. A new platform technology is needed that can inexpensively deliver secure authentication, rapid and automated screening throughout the supply chain and ultimately facilitate the elimination of purchases containing components from unknown electronics suppliers. This proposal introduces exactly that type of solution. It features inexpensive base materials, multi-spectral optical scanning (that can happen at component and board level) and a massive, easily changed information content that can be exploited for many types of extremely asymmetrical authentication processes. It is based on the novel, early stage technologies of two small companies. Correlated Magnetics Research can program magnets to emit desired, complex fields. The COLR Technology, being commercialized by Idea Zoo, is based on engineered magnetically active nanoparticles that form structured, micro-scale lattices that create color by diffracting and scattering different wavelengths of light. Combined, these technology provide a high information content, un-copyable technology that can be scanned using inexpensive cameras.