# US 11,029,267 B2 · Method and a system for XRF marking and reading XRF marks of electronic systems

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- Number: US 11,029,267 B2
- Document ID: US11029267B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/834,732
- Filed: 2020-03-30
- Published: 2020-07-16
- Granted: 2021-06-08
- Earliest claimed: 2016-04-04
- Assignees: Security Matters Ltd.
- Applicants: Security Matters Ltd.
- Inventors: Nataly Tal; Mor Kaplinsky; Tehila Nahum; Hagit Sade; Dana Gasper; Ron Dafni; Chen Nachmias; Michal Firstenberg; Avital Trachtman; Haggai Alon; Nadav Yoran; Tzemah Kislev
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11029267B2

## CPC

- G01N 23/223: by irradiating the sample with X-rays or gamma-rays and by measuring X-ray fluorescence
- C23C 16/484: {using X-ray radiation}
- G01N 2223/0766: X-ray fluorescence with indicator, tags
- G01N 2223/6113: printed circuit board [PCB]
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)

## Abstract

There are disclosed a method of producing an XRF readable mark, the XRF readable mark and a component comprising thereof. The method comprises providing an XRF marking composition with specific relative concentrations of one or more chemical elements and fabricating a multilayer structure of the XRF readable mark. The relative concentrations are selected such that in response to irradiation of the XRF marking composition by XRF exciting radiation, the XRF marking composition emits an XRF signal indicative of a predetermined XRF signature. Fabricating the multilayer structure comprises implementing an attenuation layer with at least one element exhibiting high absorbance for an XRF exciting radiation and/or an XRF background; and implementing a marking layer comprising said XRF marking composition.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An XRF readable mark, the XRF readable mark comprises:
an XRF marking composition with specific relative concentrations of one or more chemical elements, said relative concentrations are selected such that in response to irradiation of the XRF marking composition by XRF exciting radiation, the XRF marking composition emits an XRF signal indicative of a predetermined XRF signature associated with said the XRF readable mark;
wherein the XRF readable mark is configured and operable for placement on an XRF responsive substrate which is associated with emission of XRF background clutter in response to said irradiation by the XRF exciting radiation; and
wherein the XRF readable mark comprises:
an attenuation/mask layer comprising at least one element exhibiting absorbance for at least one of: said XRF exciting radiation and said XRF background clutter; and
a marking layer comprising said XRF marking composition; and
wherein said XRF readable mark is designated for placement on said substrate such that the attenuation/mask layer of the XRF readable mark intermediates between said substrate and the marking layer of the XRF readable mark.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The XRF readable mark of claim 1 wherein said a predetermined XRF signature is characterized by one or more spectral peaks of said response to irradiation which are above a certain threshold; and wherein said one or more spectral peaks comprising at least one spectral peak contributed by the XRF marking composition of the marking layer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The XRF readable mark of claim 2 wherein said one or more spectral peaks comprising at least one spectral peak contributed by one or more elements of the attenuation layer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The XRF readable mark of claim 1 wherein said a predetermined XRF signature is characterized by one or more spectral peaks of said response to irradiation which are above a certain threshold; and wherein without said attenuation/mask layer the XRF background clutter from said XRF responsive substrate includes at least one spectral peak above said certain threshold and said attenuation/mask layer, at least, suppress the intensity of, said at least one spectral peak of the XRF background clutter, thereby enabling to read said predetermined XRF signature of the XRF readable mark while said XRF readable mark is placed over said substrate.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The XRF readable mark of claim 1 wherein said attenuation layer extends over an area larger than an area of the marking layer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The XRF readable mark of claim 1 wherein the attenuation layer is configured with the parameters satisfying μsρx≥½, where x*ρ is area density of said attenuation layer is at least and μs is the average mass absorption coefficient of the atomic elements constituents of the attenuation layer.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The XRF readable mark of claim 6 wherein the attenuation layer is configured with the parameters satisfying μsρx≥1.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The XRF readable mark of claim 6, wherein said at least one element exhibiting the absorbance in the attenuation layer has an atomic number of at least 45.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The XRF readable mark of claim 8, wherein the at least one element exhibiting the absorbance comprises Lead (Pb).

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The XRF readable mark of claim 1 wherein said at least one element exhibiting the absorbance in the attenuation layer is associated with substantial XRF response in at least one spectral regime and wherein said substantial XRF response is part of said predetermined XRF signature of the XRF readable mark.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

A component comprising:
a substrate material; and
an XRF readable mark configured for emitting, an XRF signal having an XRF signature indicative of said component, in response to irradiation of the XRF readable mark by XRF exciting radiation;
wherein said substrate is an XRF responsive substrate comprises metallic atomic elements, and is associated with emission of XRF background signal in response to irradiation thereof by the XRF exciting radiation; and wherein
said XRF readable mark is configured according to claim 1 and is placed over a surface of said substrate such that the attenuation/mask layer of the XRF readable mark intermediates between said surface of the substrate and the marking layer of said XRF readable mark.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The component of claim 11, wherein the at least one element exhibiting the absorbance has higher atomic number than elements of said substrate.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

An electronic system comprising:
a plurality of components comprising at least a first and a second components, wherein:
the first component includes a substrate material and first XRF readable mark configured for emitting a first XRF signal having a first XRF signature in response to irradiation thereof by XRF exciting radiation, wherein said substrate is an XRF responsive substrate comprising metallic atomic elements and associated with emission of XRF background signal in response to irradiation thereof by the XRF exciting radiation; and wherein said XRF readable mark is configured according to claim 1 and is placed over a surface of said substrate such that the attenuation/mask layer of the XRF readable mark intermediates between said surface of the substrate and its marking layer;
the second component includes a second XRF readable mark configured for emitting a second XRF signal having a second XRF signature in response to irradiation thereof by XRF exciting radiation; and
wherein said first and second XRF readable marks are respectively configured such that the first XRF signature of the first component corresponds to the second XRF signature of the second electronic component thereby enabling verification that said first and second components are respectively compatible components of said electronic system.

### Claim 14

A method for producing an XRF readable mark, the method comprising:
providing an XRF marking composition with specific relative concentrations of one or more chemical elements whereby the relative concentrations are selected such that in response to irradiation of the XRF marking composition by XRF exciting radiation, the XRF marking composition emits an XRF signal indicative of a predetermined XRF signature; and
fabricating a multilayer structure of the XRF readable mark, said fabricating comprising:
implementing an attenuation layer comprising at least one element exhibiting high-absorbance for at least one of: an XRF exciting radiation and an XRF background; and
implementing a marking layer comprising said XRF marking composition.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14 wherein said implementing of the attenuation layer is configured such that parameters of said attenuation layer satisfy μsρx≥½, where x*ρ is area density of said attenuation layer is at least and μs is the average mass absorption coefficient of the atomic elements constituents of the attenuation layer.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15 wherein said implementing of the attenuation layer is such that parameters of said attenuation layer satisfy μsρx≥1.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14 further furnishing said attenuation layer and said marking layer over an XRF responsive substrate which is associated with emission of XRF background clutter in response to said irradiation by an XRF exciting radiation; wherein said furnishing is such that the attenuation/mask layer intermediates between said substrate and the marking layer.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one element exhibiting the absorbance has higher atomic number than elements of said substrate.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein said implementing of the attenuation layer comprises applying coating to at least a part of a surface of a substrate whereby said coating comprises the at least one element exhibiting the absorbance.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19 wherein the coating comprises a polymeric material in embedded with one or more elements of high atomic number equal to or above 45.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20 wherein said elements of high atomic number include one or more metallic elements.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, wherein said one or more metallic elements are embedded in the polymeric material by dissolving oxide or salt forms or organometallic compounds including said material in the polymeric material prior to said coating.

### Claim 23 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein said implementing of the attenuation layer comprises depositing said at least one element exhibiting the absorbance on at least a part of a surface of a substrate and wherein said depositing is implemented in at least one of the following:
said depositing comprises at least one of CVD and PVD; and
said at least one element exhibiting the absorbance is deposited in liquid, solid or granular form.