How can V-I characteristics help in counterfeit component detection

The counterfeit electronic components represent a serious problem nowadays. This paper illustrates a V-I characteristic based counterfeit detector application possibilities. The electronic component V-I characteristics express a relationship between the current flowing via a chosen couple of pins, and the voltage applied on those pins. The applied voltage course follows a certain function like sinus, triangle or ramp between safe limits. The V-I characteristics of an individual component type can differ according to production technology, according to particular manufacturer, or according to the measurement conditions itself. The natural differences can be subsumed in the model component pin print which can be used for the comparative analysis aimed at discovering unnatural differences caused by improper treatment, failure or by the counterfeiting process