SBIR Phase II: Micro-mark Data Matrix

This Small Business Innvation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will develop an Integrated Circuit (IC) authentication system as a countermeasure to the growing counterfeit IC problem. The goal is to leverage the extremely compact form factor of a patent-pending Micro Mark two dimensional (2D) direct part marking technology to apply permanent, unalterable, unique identification codes to individual IC packages. These codes will be generated from a centralized database then marked onto individual ICs such that they can be read and verified with the database throughout the subsequent supply chain to ensure traceability and authenticity. This Micro Mark technology is small enough (<25um) to fit on the vast majority of IC package form factors and provides sufficient code density to allow serialization. The broader/commercial impacts of this project is to prevent the adverse effects of Integrated Circuit (IC) counterfeiting. ICs are a critical in the design of all electronic products and as our society becomes more and more dependent on electronic products for personal and business use it is important to ensure the correct operation of these products. This authentication system will enable manufacturers to ensure that the ICs they are deploying on their manufacturing lines are the authentic product. This system will also provide additional savings to the industry by reducing or eliminating the costs of manufacturing rework and product recalls due to counterfeit ICs. Moreover, as U.S. military electronic equipment has been infiltrated by counterfeit ICs, this authentication system will provide the systemic approach to stop the infiltration and preserve the performance of these military systems as they were designed and intended. As the technology matures, other industries which demand strict inventory control and efficient product recall (e.g. defense, pharmaceutical, legal, and forensic sciences) could also benefit from the Micro Mark Authentication System.