Microwave reflectometry for physical inspections
AssigneeThe Curators of the University of Missouri
InventorsMohammad Tayeb Ghasr, Reza Zoughi, Satyajeet Shinde, Sasi Jothibasu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Utilizing microwave reflections to compare a reference device with counterfeit and/or aging devices under test. The reflection from the device under test varies based on certain properties, which results in each device having a unique and intrinsic electromagnetic signature. Comparisons of the electromagnetic signature of the device under test to the electromagnetic signature of a reference device enable evaluating the acceptability of the device under test.
Claims20
A method of evaluating a device under test (DUT) comprising:
- irradiating a DUT with a first electromagnetic signal comprising electromagnetic energy having a microwave or higher frequency;
- receiving a second electromagnetic signal comprising the electromagnetic energy of the first electromagnetic signal reflected by the DUT;
- measuring, by a measuring device, a reflection coefficient associated with the DUT as a function of frequency of the second electromagnetic signal;
- determining an electromagnetic signature of the DUT as a function of the reflection coefficient associated therewith;
- and
- comparing the electromagnetic signature of the DUT to one or more known electromagnetic signatures to evaluate the DUT.
A system for evaluating an electronic device comprising:
- a probe having a signal source coupled thereto, said probe including a radiating aperture through which an electromagnetic signal generated by the signal source is transmitted to an electronic device located remotely from the aperture and through which an electromagnetic signal reflected from the electronic device is received by the aperture, wherein a magnitude and a phase of the reflected electromagnetic signal exhibit different characteristics from a magnitude and a phase of the transmitted electromagnetic signal, and wherein the electronic device is aligned relative to the waveguide;
- a measuring instrument coupled to the probe and configured to measure a complex reflection coefficient as a function of frequency of the reflected electromagnetic signal, the reflection coefficient having a magnitude and a phase;
- and
- a processor configured to determine an electromagnetic signature of the electronic device as a function of the measured complex reflection coefficient relative to one or more known electromagnetic signatures.
A method for non-destructive detection of counterfeit electronic devices comprising:
- transmitting, by an antenna, an electromagnetic signal, said electromagnetic signal comprising at least high-frequency electromagnetic energy incident upon an electronic device aligned relative to the antenna;
- receiving, by the antenna, an electromagnetic field reflected from the electronic device, wherein the reflected electromagnetic field has a magnitude and a phase that differ from a magnitude and a phase of the transmitted electromagnetic signal;
- measuring, by a measuring device, a complex reflection coefficient as a function of frequency of the received electromagnetic field referenced to the antenna, wherein the complex reflection coefficient is spatially and spectrally integrated;
- and
- determining, by a processor executing an algorithm, a quantitative metric from the measured complex reflection coefficient for comparison to another quantitative metric determined from one or more known electromagnetic signatures.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.