If there is a so-called monolith inside the USB stick or an SD card housing (similar to a micro memory card), in which the electronics, the controller and the memory chip are in a so-called monolithic block, a different process is necessary. In the first step, the plastic coating is removed to expose the contacts (pins). This is followed by determining the correct pin-out assignment / how the circuits work / how the electronics work. This is determined production-specifically from model to model.

Only by knowing the exact sequence is it possible for our engineers to solder fine conductor wires under the microscope to a special adapter in order to achieve communication with the memory chip. If this is successful, the controller encryption algorithms are reconstructed in order to put the data blocks back in the correct order and to be able to merge the data fragments.

Monolith technology are implemented into a variety of memory cards and sticks (mini/thumb). Monolith technology integrates all components of the stick necessary for functionality in a so-called monolithic block. Compared to conventional NAND flash technology, in which the controller and NAND memory chips are each open and housed separately on the board, monolith technology is much more time-consuming to save, in these cases the controller and NAND are integrated in a single chip. This increased time expenditure naturally also causes higher costs.

Monolith technology is much more difficult to save than conventional NAND technology. This is partly due to insufficient documentation on the part of the manufacturers, who usually have their memory sticks produced by contract manufacturers in Asia. Even within a USB model series, a wide variety of components and circuits can be found, some with high internal hardware encryption, which can make data recovery impossible in individual cases.

In cases of flash cards in which a crack extends across the surface of the housing, in most cases it can be assumed that there is no chance of rescue. In the picture you can see a 16 GB card from SanDisk with the housing and to the right of it the actual memory chip. This is a monolithic design in which all of the card’s components are cast in a monolithic block. This is the only way to further reduce the size of the chip, which saves production costs, but unfortunately also makes the time required to repair the memory card much more difficult and expensive.

For this reason, cracked or bent memory cards are often not salvageable, as the crack usually runs right through the memory chip. The times when individual components were arranged on a circuit board and took up the entire space of the card are long gone. Back then, the interfaces were located on the circuit board and the actual chip was located further back. Especially with older cards, there is definitely the possibility of still being able to save data despite cracks or breaks. With modern memory cards, this possibility is reduced significantly.

In practice, the monolithic design only requires a third of the space, which makes the modern flash card for storing photos and videos more susceptible to bends or breaks. Especially when the storage capacity is running low and the user tries to change the card quickly, the most common damage scenarios occur due to carelessness.

In cases of data loss where a data stick has been broken or bent, we have also recently started offering solutions. These solutions are effective when all conventional methods for data reconstruction fail. This scenario is valid for all types of defective controller IC / firmware controllers where the ICs themselves are damaged. Smaller laboratories in particular use inexpensive solutions that rely on heat to remove memory chips. The degree of heat cannot be adjusted precisely, which means that the material in which the chip core is embedded expands. In the case of such “expansion” we speak of delamination. The internal wiring of the chip then breaks due to the material tension. With the exception of KUERT, there is currently no solution provider in the world that can solve these scenarios.

If requested, we will x-ray the affected delaminated IC in order to obtain information about the damage to the chip core (the so-called CHIP-DIE). We offer X-ray analyzes of memory ICs starting from € 200,00 (including VAT) and we offer this to both our customers and other rescue companies. After the X-ray analysis has been carried out, our customers then receive a separate second analysis report which provides information about the costs and the prospect of success regarding the feasibility of the new procedure. Here we transplant the chip core from the damaged IC and insert it into an identical IC. To carry out this rescue procedure, which is currently unique in the world, we use not only X-ray technology, microscopy but also laser technology and ultrasound.

The costs for data recovery from USB sticks and memory cards depend on the capacity, the damage, the technology (process) used and the associated effort.
That’s why we always start with an analysis by looking at the error pattern and calculating the effort/price accordingly.

After the analysis, you will receive a report (a detailed description of the error and the prognosis) from us by email, including a binding offer including a list of all costs in the event of success/failure and the expected duration of the process. Now you can decide, if we see a chance of reconstructing the data, whether you want to commission us to recover the data or not.