Multimodal dynamic and unclonable anti-counterfeiting using robust diamond microparticles on heterogeneous substrate

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Optics

Background:

• Counterfeit products pose significant global economic and health risks.
• Advanced anti-counterfeiting materials are crucial for product security.
• Physical unclonable functions (PUFs) offer a promising defense strategy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop novel, dynamic, and unclonable anti-counterfeiting labels.
• To leverage diamond microparticles with silicon-vacancy centers for secure authentication.
• To enable high-capacity optical encoding and time-dependent security features.

Main Methods:

• Heterogeneous growth of diamond microparticles on silicon substrates via chemical vapor deposition.
• Utilizing photoluminescence from silicon-vacancy centers and light scattering for optical encoding.
• Modulating photoluminescence signals through air oxidation for time-dependent encoding.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated intrinsically unclonable features due to randomized particle characteristics.
• Achieved high-capacity optical encoding using stable photoluminescence and light scattering signals.
• Verified ultrahigh stability of the diamond labels under extreme conditions (chemical, thermal, mechanical, UV).

Conclusions:

• Developed a scalable, low-cost method for fabricating advanced anti-counterfeiting labels.
• The diamond-based labels offer robust, multimodal, and dynamic security features.
• The proposed system is immediately applicable for diverse anti-counterfeiting needs.