The chips that feed power to an AI server rack aren’t glamorous. They’re MOSFETs, power stages and controllers, and a lot of them come from Infineon. They’re also the same parts that go into car inverters, factory drives, and solar equipment.
That overlap matters more each quarter. If franchised stock dries up and your line still needs parts, you end up on the open market, where most counterfeits show up. This guide explains why Infineon parts get scarce, what to ask an independent distributor, and how five familiar names compare, including Verified Electronics. This UK supplier sends open-market stock to outside labs for testing.
Why AI Data Centres Matter to Infineon Buyers
Infineon’s own figures tell the story. The company set a target of about €1.5 billion in AI data centre revenue for fiscal 2026, and it expects roughly €2.5 billion in fiscal 2027. It also raised its fiscal 2026 investment plan by around €500 million, to €2.7 billion, mostly to add capacity for data centre power supplies. In Q3 2026, it posted record revenue and put that down largely to AI demand.
The reason is simple physics. AI racks draw several times the power of an ordinary server rack, a jump that has already forced operators to rethink data centre resilience, from cooling to containment. More power per rack means more conversion silicon per rack.
To be clear, AI isn’t behind every Infineon shortage. Allocation, end-of-life notices and long lead times were problems in this catalog long before anyone was building GPU clusters. Still, when a supplier’s fastest-growing customers are hyperscalers, everyone else should expect to wait longer for some parts.
Why Infineon Parts Are Hard to Find
Part of the problem is history. Infineon bought International Rectifier in 2015, which brought in a deep range of MOSFETs, IGBTs, and gate drivers. In 2020, it completed its purchase of Cypress Semiconductor, adding PSoC microcontrollers, USB controllers and memory.
Thousands of products in the field still run on those older IR and Cypress part numbers, and somebody has to keep building and repairing them. Buyers tend to run into the same problems:
- Automotive and power parts go on allocation, so only contracted customers get them during tight periods.
- Older Cypress and IR families receive last-time-buy notices while the boards that use them stay in service for years.
- Lead times can stretch for months during shortages.
- Popular power MOSFETs and IGBTs attract counterfeiters because demand is steady and the parts are easy to remark.
Check Infineon’s authorized distributors first. Independent distributors are the fallback when those channels come up empty. Open-market stock can be perfectly good, but you need someone to prove it.
How Fake Power Parts Get Caught
Counterfeiters sand and remark old chips, pull used parts off scrap boards, or sell clones. A fake MOSFET can look identical to the real one. Some fail on the bench, and some pass a quick check, then fail months later in a customer’s product.
AI is already doing some of this policing in consumer retail. Image recognition models now catch counterfeit phone chargers on marketplaces before they ship. Component authentication is still mostly hands-on lab work, though. These are the tests that matter:
| Test | What it can reveal |
| External visual inspection | Sanding, remarking, odd logos or date codes |
| X-ray | Wrong die size, missing bond wires |
| XRF | Plating that doesn’t match the spec |
| Heated solvent | A blacktop coating hiding old markings |
| Decapsulation | Die markings from the wrong manufacturer |
| Electrical test | Parts that look right but miss their specs |
For power devices, electrical and decap results are the ones to read closely. On-resistance and die size are very hard to fake.
Making Sense of the Acronyms
Distributor websites love a long row of standards, and each one covers something different. AS6081 sets counterfeit-avoidance rules for distributors. AS6171 defines test methods for labs. AS5553 applies to manufacturers and system integrators. IDEA-STD-1010 covers visual inspection, and CCAP-101 is a counterfeit-avoidance certification program.
The one most people miss is ISO/IEC 17025. It’s how an outside body confirms that a lab is competent. A lab that “meets” AS6171 follows the right methods. A lab accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 with AS6171 in scope has had an auditor check that it actually does. It’s worth asking any supplier which of the two they mean.
Where to Buy Infineon Parts Outside Franchised Channels
These five distributors come up again and again in Infineon sourcing searches. The quality details below come from each company’s own published material, so confirm them before you commit to an order.
| Distributor | Base | Testing | Published credentials |
| Verified Electronics | UK | Third-party labs | ISO 9001:2015; lab meets AS6081, AS6171, AS5553, CCAP-101, IDEA-1010 |
| Smith | Houston | In-house labs | ISO/IEC 17025 AS6171 accreditation |
| Fusion Worldwide | Boston | Testing subsidiary in Singapore | AS6081 certified |
| Win-Source | Online | Not detailed publicly | Listed on its certifications page |
| Microchip USA | Tampa | Not detailed publicly | Ask for documentation |
Verified Electronics
Infineon is one of Verified Electronics’ featured lines, alongside NXP, Xilinx, Altera, Texas Instruments, TE Connectivity and Microchip. Its catalog also has separate Cypress Semiconductor and International Rectifier listings, which is useful if you’re chasing a legacy part number.
You can buy Infineon parts through a quote request, and the company offers inspection reports and samples before you pay.
What sets it apart is outside testing. Verified Electronics sends parts to third-party labs instead of relying only on its own inspection, and it says the lab meets ISO 9001, AS6081, AS6171, AS5553, CCAP-101 and IDEA-1010. The published test menu runs from documentation checks and X-ray to decapsulation and electrical testing. Reliability work such as burn-in, thermal cycling and vibration is available on request.
The company holds ISO 9001:2015 certification and offers 24-hour sales support across the US, UK, EU and Asia. Its customers include automotive, industrial, green energy, medical, aerospace and defence firms.
One question to put to them: does the lab handling your order hold ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation with AS6171 in scope?
Smith
Smith is one of the biggest independent distributors. In May 2025, its in-house authenticity labs in Houston, Hong Kong, Amsterdam and Singapore earned ISO/IEC 17025 AS6171 accreditation. That makes it a natural fit for companies running supply programs across several regions.
Fusion Worldwide
Fusion Worldwide is based in Boston and gained AS6081 certification in 2019. Its Singapore subsidiary, Prosemi, handles component testing. Fusion often comes up when buyers need large volumes during a shortage.
Win-Source
Win-Source runs an online catalog with prices and stock levels on the page, and it leans toward obsolete and hard-to-find parts. That price visibility helps with small, quick orders. Its public site says little about how it inspects parts, so ask for test data on anything going into a power stage.
Microchip USA
People sometimes mistake Microchip USA for the chipmaker Microchip Technology, but it describes itself as a full-line independent distributor based in Tampa. It offers obsolescence management and suits US buyers who want a local broker. It publishes little about testing, so request its quality certifications early.
Before You Place the Order
- Start with Infineon’s authorized distributors, and make sure the part is genuinely unavailable there.
- Find out who tests the parts: the distributor, an outside lab, or nobody. Get the lab’s name.
- Ask whether the lab is accredited or only compliant.
- Ask for the report itself, with photos, X-ray images and electrical results tied to your lot and date code.
- Match the testing to the risk. A visual check alone won’t clear a power MOSFET or IGBT.
- Read the warranty and returns terms before parts arrive, not after they fail incoming inspection.
FAQs
Q. Where can I buy Infineon parts when they’re out of stock?
Try Infineon’s authorized distributors first. If they’re out, use an independent distributor that tests open-market stock and shares the lab report before you pay.
Q. Are Cypress parts now Infineon?
Yes. Infineon completed the Cypress acquisition in 2020, and many Cypress microcontroller, USB and memory parts now carry the Infineon name.
Q. Can I still buy obsolete Cypress or International Rectifier parts?
Usually, yes. Independent distributors stock plenty of end-of-life parts. Older stock carries more counterfeit risk, though, so testing matters even more.
Q. How can I tell if an Infineon power part is fake?
Ask for X-ray, decapsulation, and electrical test results. Fakes often have the wrong die size or fail on-resistance and breakdown voltage checks.
Q. Is AI demand causing Infineon shortages?
Not across the board. AI data centres are Infineon’s fastest-growing market, and the company is adding capacity for them. That shift in priorities is reason enough to plan for longer lead times on power and legacy parts.
Related: What Does mAh Mean on a Power Bank? Real Capacity Explained
