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Airport security, x-rays and semiconductors

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ragnar

Thu Oct 01 2009, 04:54PM

Registered Member #63 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 06:18AM
Location:
Posts: 1425

Hi all,

So far I've only been through airport security x-ray machines twice. My laptop, digital camera, and solid state memory have never had a problem, so I can't imagine loose semiconductors suffering, but I'd love to hear your responses to the following:

Is there any risk to my MOSFETs, CMOS, and other loose components going through an airport x-ray?

Is there any risk of me flagging security, carrying a case full of semiconductors through an airport x-ray?

Has anyone been questioned about the commercial value, had parts confiscated, or been forced to discard them?

Many thanks :)

Proud Mary

Thu Oct 01 2009, 05:31PM

Registered Member #543 Joined: Tue Feb 20 2007, 04:26PM
Location: UK
Posts: 4992

1. X-ray security devices are far more advanced than they were 20 years ago, with very low doses used. There is no known risk of destruction of semiconductors in Western countries. (I have qualified that because it is perfectly possible that an impoverished developing nation might have old, high dose equipment. But destruction of semiconductors still seems unlikely, and I have never heard of such a case.)

2. Some countries (such as the USA) have strict controls on the export of certain hi-tech devices, such as slapper capacitors, krytrons, VSLI chips, and so on. It depends on what your semiconductors are. Some destinations such as Bagdhad may also be looking for importers of devices useful in making IEDs, timers, and radio control devices, so it is not inconceivable your activities might become of interest to the secret police in some nation states.

3. Your last question seems more connected to customs control. Imports into the United Kingdom worth more than Â£18 are subject to payment of Value Added Tax, etc. Most countries will want to tax valuable cargoes, and see the documentation relating to them.

It's hard to be more definite because of the vagueness of the question, and because much would have to be discovered on a country by country basis.

aonomus

Thu Oct 01 2009, 05:43PM

Registered Member #1497 Joined: Thu May 22 2008, 05:24AM
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 801

In terms of x-rays, I have had no issues with flash memory or magnetic memory, and CMOS sensors in 2 different cameras I've owned have had no issues.

Harry does raise a good point that certain devices have export restrictions.

Steve Conner

Thu Oct 01 2009, 08:11PM

Registered Member #30 Joined: Fri Feb 03 2006, 10:52AM
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Posts: 6706

Hi Matt

I'd say there's no risk of X-ray damage. A solid-state memory is far more delicate than, say, an IRFP460.

If they see anything odd when X-raying your luggage, they will search it. The last time I had trouble from airport security, it was a Powerball in my bag to blame.

I doubt there is any law against carrying bags full of transistors on a plane, but in practice, it's just a case of whether airport security like the look of it or not. Electronic components are so specialized that customs guys probably have no idea what they're worth: they're more interested in things that normal people would smuggle: liquor, cigarettes, wads of cash, mysterious bags of white powder, and so on. In any case, if you're worried, you can check what value of goods you're allowed to bring into the country for personal use. If you wanted an easy life, don't take the stuff on a plane: mail it to your destination and pay any import duty it picks up.

As Samuel L Jackson said "I have had it with these m*******in' FETs on this m*******in' plane"

Conundrum

Thu Oct 01 2009, 08:34PM

Registered Member #96 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 05:37PM
Location: CI, Earth
Posts: 4062

haha....
i once fixed an sd card that previously worked until it was scanned at Gatwick. Afterwards the card showed as blank until I ran Photorescue across it- card was permanently fried but i got all her holiday pics back...

Dr. Slack

Thu Oct 01 2009, 10:37PM

Registered Member #72 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 08:29AM
Location: UK St. Albans
Posts: 1659

If you wanted an easy life, don't take the stuff on a plane:

Electronic components are so specialized that customs guys probably have no idea what they're worth:

... or even what they are. I took a bench-top signal generator abroad a while ago, it needed to go in the cabin, and I got stopped in security. With my plane's departure ticking down on my watch, I struggled to keep my cool as the guy asked me to open it up. "What are these things that look like sticks of dynamite?" "they are the power supply electrolytics" "and this?" "That's a filter to remove some interefence". "Wot, like TV interference?". Two answers suggested themselves at this point. a) "No you moron, you are not qualified to even think about looking inside this box, that's a PCS duplex filter waaaaay outside TV frequency range ", and b) "Yes officer, just like TV interference". I caught my plane. Guess which answer I went for.

mikeselectricstuff

Thu Oct 01 2009, 11:51PM

Registered Member #311 Joined: Sun Mar 12 2006, 08:28PM
Location:
Posts: 253

Harry wrote ...

Imports into the United Kingdom worth more than Â£18 are subject to payment of Value Added Tax, etc. Most countries will want to tax valuable cargoes, and see the documentation relating to them.

FYI that limit is for postal imports, the limit for goods carried with you is significantly higher, something like Â£150 I think.

Proud Mary

Thu Oct 01 2009, 11:53PM

Registered Member #543 Joined: Tue Feb 20 2007, 04:26PM
Location: UK
Posts: 4992

"a case full of semiconductors" seems a likely target for customs investigation to me:

You will be astonished to read the exhaustive restrictions and limitations on 'possible' dual use technology in the Commonwealth of Australia's Defence and Strategic Goods Amendment 2007

Proud Mary

Thu Oct 01 2009, 11:54PM

Registered Member #543 Joined: Tue Feb 20 2007, 04:26PM
Location: UK
Posts: 4992

mikeselectricstuff wrote ...

FYI that limit is for postal imports, the limit for goods carried with you is significantly higher, something like Â£150 I think.

Thanks for putting me right on that, Mike.

Frosty90

Fri Oct 02 2009, 02:33AM

Registered Member #1617 Joined: Fri Aug 01 2008, 07:31AM
Location: Adelaide, South Australia
Posts: 139

"a case full of semiconductors" seems a likely target for customs investigation to me:

You will be astonished to read the exhaustive restrictions and limitations on 'possible' dual use technology in the Commonwealth of Australia's Defence and Strategic Goods Amendment 2007

"Dual use"?! this is rediculous! This appears to be essentially a list of things that are not allowed to be exported (without permission from authority), because they 'might' be used in military technology! ANYTHING might be used in military technology! Eg, air, plastic metal.., atoms in general! where will it stop!? Not long ago I read in the paper here that new legislation makes it not possible to obtain some fairly common chemicals (things you'd find on a building site, like hydrochloric acid), with out some sort of permit,/liscence etc! This recieved about 10 lines in a tiny collumn in a newspaper, and it makes me angry to think how many laws are being passed with out the public really being told, restriciting every little tiny piece of your life! You only have to look at the proposed 'clean-feed' compulsory internet filtering the government tried to introduce here! I feel that soon, I wont be allowed to purchase any electronic components, get near any scientific equipment, buy tools etc, or read/obtain any scientific/technological material, open the case on my computer, mobile phone, television etc, becuase I might be a terrorist building a bomb. I see often on the telly, on 'airport/customs' shows, whole airports being evacuated, because of some one saw something with 'wires' and thought it was a bomb, but turns out to be a spare part for an aircraft, or a laptop power supply!

ARRGGHHHH! Whats happening to the world!

Jesse

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