A method and a system for xrf marking and reading xrf marks of electronic systems

An XRF readable mark, the XRF readable mark comprises:

• an XRF marking composition with specific relative concentrations of one or more chemical elements (generally a plurality of);
• 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.

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 a 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.

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 absorbance for at least one of:
• an XRF exciting radiation and an XRF background;
• and
• implementing a marking layer comprising said XRF marking composition.