EE Times - August 6, 2007 - (Page 32) Design <<30 COUNTERFEITS www.eetimes.com To our dismay, the die markings were not Toshiba’s, but Samsung’s. After comparing the die markings (K9G4G08U0A) in our database, we were able to match the markings to the Samsung 4-Gbit 65-nm MLC NAND flash. If we had ordered the part in question for system design purposes, our system would have failed, since the device was only a 4-Gbit model and not the 16-Gbit version we had ordered and expected. While the number of pins was the same on both the legitimate and the counterfeit parts, the pin configuration was different. The counterfeit parts, which use the Samsung die, have a 2kbyte page size. In contrast, the Toshiba device has a 4-kbyte page size. Design- ing-in the counterfeit part would only result in partial functionality—if it would even work at all, given the pin configuration—when trying to utilize the entire expected memory space. Speaking from design experience, there is nothing more frustrating than knowing that your design should work, checking countless times, and still hav- ing things consistently fail. The next part we were expecting was IM Flash Technologies’ 50-nm NAND flash. We first analyzed this device back in July 2006 and wrote an article about it in September (search www.eetimes.com for article ID: 192600514). The Micron marking on the package was definitely odd compared with the original samples we received, but the part number was accurate. We do not see pictures of the devices prior to their being sent in, so while the marking was odd, there was no way to determine that it was counterfeit when we placed the order. Analyzing the die in this package revealed Samsung yet again. This time, it was the 8-Gbit version of the same device that was found in the counterfeit Toshiba part. The remaining part we expected was Samsung’s 51-nm 16-Gbit MLC NAND flash. It was received from a different supplier than the previously mentioned counterfeit parts. This time, it was a bit easier to flag the part as having an issue, but the problem could have easily been overlooked. There was a single character missing from the package marking. The counterfeit part bore the part number K9GA08U0M; the legitimate part is the K9GAG08U0M. The device was only a 4-Gbit model, not the 16-Gbit version we had ordered and expected. More interesting were the X-ray images that were taken. The nine parts that were received all had multiple dice inside. So not only did we get counterfeit parts, but it seems someone grabbed whatever was lying around, retagged all the pieces as Samsung devices and sealed them in a strip. Organizations such as the National Electronic Distributors Association (NEDA; www.nedassoc.org) have been formed to prevent and control counterfeit devices in the industry. They recognize that counterfeiting is an escalating threat to all supply chains, especially for electronic components. A quote from a discussion with a Toshiba executive serves as an appropriate close. “We realize that there is an ongoing issue with counterfeit chips,” said Scott Nelson, vice president of memory products for Toshiba America Electronic Components Inc. “It’s a ‘buyer beware’ situation, in which we encourage customers to make sure that they are really receiving the product they think they’re buying. “One way buyers can help protect themselves from counterfeit parts is to purchase products only through manufacturers’ authorized distribution channels.” ■ 32 Electronic Engineering Times | August 6, 2007 http://www.eetimes.com http://www.eetimes.com http://www.nedassoc.org http://www.jameco.com http://www.jameco.com
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