By Thomas Skarbek, Director of Supplier Development at Flip Electronics
Does purchasing a semiconductor from an unauthorised source of supply and having it tested at an independent lab provide the same level of quality as purchasing from an authorised source of supply?
It’s somewhat obvious that when purchasing semiconductors to fill a socket for an end application, buyers should first resort to an authorised source of supply. That’s not always possible. When supply chain constraints arise or a device has gone obsolete, the challenge arises of where to source semiconductors. Further, how does one mitigate the risks of counterfeit or even compromised product?
There are times when one is tempted to buy from the grey market due to ease of access or lower cost of doing business. Buyers going this route then turn to have the product retested to make sure it works properly. But is that truly an effective means of weeding out potentially bad product? The real question: Is it actually possible to test a semiconductor exactly the way the original manufacturer did in order to verify its integrity? In many cases, independent labs can validate basic functionality to satisfy customer requirements. However, it is nearly impossible to create the exact same testing methodology and parameters.
When the original manufacturer generates a program and test vectors for a microprocessor to test the product, it often takes a team of engineers months, if not years, to do so. In addition to that, automated test equipment (ATE) test systems to test the product can cost millions of dollars. Original manufacturers do not give out the original test program as it is considered closely guarded intellectual property.
For ultimate security, authorised sources are the way to go. Authorised supply channels provide traceable factory-direct product, as well as lifecycle extension programmes through licensed manufacturing models, assuring the customer is buying good product. These companies are fully authorised to do so and have complete traceability back to the original manufacturer.
At the end of the day, look to an authorised source of supply to guarantee peace of mind. Leverage quality value providers through your authorised channel when required.
