Modern electronics depend on global silicon supply chains that offer little direct evidence of integrity. As chips move through opaque fabrication, packaging and resale pathways, trust often rests on labels, certifications or vendor claims rather than verifiable proof. Practical, non-destructive inspection methods now make it possible to examine silicon in deployed systems and compare physical structures against expected designs. Infrared backside imaging enables visibility into transistor layouts without destroying hardware, raising the bar for detecting tampering or substitution. Combined with open RTL designs and verifiable construction practices, these approaches shift assurance away from trust proxies toward evidence-based verification.

This video lesson, taught by Andrew Huang, director at Sutajio Ko-usagi, will cover:

• Limits of brand, certification and NDA-based trust in silicon supply chains;
• Open RTL designs as a foundation for structural correctness;
• Pathways toward higher-assurance, inspectable silicon.