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**MossyRocks** · 08-03-2018, 01:07 PM - **3 Likes**

Here we have a 2:1 macro shot cropped to show a single old microchip still on wafer. The chip is about 4mm on the long edge and is a programmable read only memory (PROM).
The shot was taken with a reverse mounted 28mm SMC takumar illuminated by the warm CFL kitchen lights above.
Exposure time was 30 seconds.
The image was cropped to show one full chip.

This chip dates to about 1971 or 1972 and has a feature size of 5um or 7um. This is about 1000 times larger than today's best semiconductors that will pack in about a million transistors in the area that one transistor here takes up. There are 20 rows of 63 transistors here for a total storage capacity of 1260 bits. The traces you see are actually aluminum and when photographed with a flash were the expected shiny silver color but the detail for the layers got lost when photographed with a flash so the overhead kitchen light was used instead. No trade secrets or patents exposed here as they have all long expired.

SSGGeezer · 08-04-2018, 01:00 PM

Very cool image.

**UncleVanya** · 08-09-2018, 04:49 PM

I really like this. Splendid work.

**MossyRocks** · 08-09-2018, 07:09 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by UncleVanya

I really like this. Splendid work.

I have more that when I get some time I will photography. It gives a view into something most people haven't ever really seen. Beside apart from bugs and flowers there needs to be some more variety in macro shots.

**jhaji** · 08-10-2018, 11:55 AM

Nice. I'm curious how you managed to get a wafer.

**MossyRocks** · 08-10-2018, 12:24 PM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by jhaji

Nice. I'm curious how you managed to get a wafer.

My father-in-law was a semiconductor engineer for ages starting his career in the field in the late 60s after working at various national labs. I asked him if happened to have any ones I could try doing macro photography with and ended up getting a stack of various ones from 1 inch up to 2.5 inches in size that he had acquired over the years. Those ones were all state of the art when they were new showing just how far things have come.

I actually had one of my own from a place I interned at in college (got because my future father-in-law dropped my resume into the correct basket) from back in 98 that I still can't find. That one was a 3 inch wafer which was not the modern state of the art at the time but for that place it was cost effective to use old used tooling because analogue signal pre-amps for hard drives don't need to be created on the latest semiconductor processe.

This winter I will probably get around to photographing all of them as it is something to do indoors when the cold will try to kill you. They are small enough that a 1:3 magnification should be able to get the entire waver in the frame so maybe I will take some pictures like that of them too.

**jhaji** · 08-10-2018, 12:59 PM

Very informative. Thanks for sharing. I did not know that wafers were that small once upon a time. The transition from 200mm to 300mm was when I first looked into it.

**MossyRocks** · 08-10-2018, 01:08 PM

Originally posted by jhaji

Very informative. Thanks for sharing. I did not know that wafers were that small once upon a time. The transition from 200mm to 300mm was when I first looked into it.

If I remember correctly the 200mm ones were either just new or just on the horizon in 98. Then again that was 20 years ago now and I wasn't an EE or process engineer and instead was the intern who got to write the code to run the robotic test equipment so an NT4 machine could run it. Thus I never really followed those developments all that closely.

Valojuova · 08-22-2018, 02:30 PM

Nice! would like to see a pic from the setup also

**MossyRocks** · 08-22-2018, 03:51 PM

Originally posted by Valojuova

Nice! would like to see a pic from the setup also

I will take one the next time do so. Maybe this weekend as it may rain.

Santiago Koroviev · 08-22-2018, 06:09 PM

Wow, nice!

**MossyRocks** · 08-24-2018, 11:53 AM

Originally posted by Santiago Koroviev

Wow, nice!

I was hoping that people would like it as it this is something most people will never actually be able to see. I would still like some pointers on improving it or on technique in general.

**carabez** · 08-31-2018, 04:18 PM

Originally posted by MossyRocks

The image was cropped to show one full chip.

shh be quiet, there is some reverse engineering disguise as forum members!!!

Thank for sharing.

jays0n · 08-31-2018, 04:20 PM

Whoa, cool!. That would make a neat throw rug pattern.

**MossyRocks** · 09-01-2018, 08:03 AM

Originally posted by carabez

hh be quiet, there is some reverse engineering disguise as forum members!!!

I don't think anyone would want to reverse engineer a 1260 bit PROM chip.

08-03-2018, 01:07 PM - 3 Likes	#1
MossyRocks Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Minnesota Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,982	Electro Macro 1 Lens: 28mm SMC Takumar Camera: K-3 Photo Location: Apple Valley ISO: 100 Shutter Speed: Above 6s Aperture: F8 Here we have a 2:1 macro shot cropped to show a single old microchip still on wafer. The chip is about 4mm on the long edge and is a programmable read only memory (PROM). The shot was taken with a reverse mounted 28mm SMC takumar illuminated by the warm CFL kitchen lights above. Exposure time was 30 seconds. The image was cropped to show one full chip. This chip dates to about 1971 or 1972 and has a feature size of 5um or 7um. This is about 1000 times larger than today's best semiconductors that will pack in about a million transistors in the area that one transistor here takes up. There are 20 rows of 63 transistors here for a total storage capacity of 1260 bits. The traces you see are actually aluminum and when photographed with a flash were the expected shiny silver color but the detail for the layers got lost when photographed with a flash so the overhead kitchen light was used instead. No trade secrets or patents exposed here as they have all long expired.

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08-04-2018, 01:00 PM	#2
SSGGeezer Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Indiana, U.S. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,845	Very cool image.

08-09-2018, 04:49 PM	#3
UncleVanya Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2014 Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 28,472	I really like this. Splendid work.

08-09-2018, 07:09 PM - 1 Like	#4
MossyRocks Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Minnesota Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,982 Original Poster	Originally posted by UncleVanya I really like this. Splendid work. I have more that when I get some time I will photography. It gives a view into something most people haven't ever really seen. Beside apart from bugs and flowers there needs to be some more variety in macro shots.

08-10-2018, 11:55 AM	#5
jhaji Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 1,141	Nice. I'm curious how you managed to get a wafer.

08-10-2018, 12:24 PM - 1 Like	#6
MossyRocks Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Minnesota Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,982 Original Poster	Originally posted by jhaji Nice. I'm curious how you managed to get a wafer. My father-in-law was a semiconductor engineer for ages starting his career in the field in the late 60s after working at various national labs. I asked him if happened to have any ones I could try doing macro photography with and ended up getting a stack of various ones from 1 inch up to 2.5 inches in size that he had acquired over the years. Those ones were all state of the art when they were new showing just how far things have come. I actually had one of my own from a place I interned at in college (got because my future father-in-law dropped my resume into the correct basket) from back in 98 that I still can't find. That one was a 3 inch wafer which was not the modern state of the art at the time but for that place it was cost effective to use old used tooling because analogue signal pre-amps for hard drives don't need to be created on the latest semiconductor processe. This winter I will probably get around to photographing all of them as it is something to do indoors when the cold will try to kill you. They are small enough that a 1:3 magnification should be able to get the entire waver in the frame so maybe I will take some pictures like that of them too.

08-10-2018, 12:59 PM	#7
jhaji Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 1,141	Very informative. Thanks for sharing. I did not know that wafers were that small once upon a time. The transition from 200mm to 300mm was when I first looked into it.

08-10-2018, 01:08 PM	#8
MossyRocks Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Minnesota Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,982 Original Poster	Originally posted by jhaji Very informative. Thanks for sharing. I did not know that wafers were that small once upon a time. The transition from 200mm to 300mm was when I first looked into it. If I remember correctly the 200mm ones were either just new or just on the horizon in 98. Then again that was 20 years ago now and I wasn't an EE or process engineer and instead was the intern who got to write the code to run the robotic test equipment so an NT4 machine could run it. Thus I never really followed those developments all that closely.

08-22-2018, 02:30 PM	#9
Valojuova Junior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Finland Posts: 28	Nice! would like to see a pic from the setup also

08-22-2018, 03:51 PM	#10
MossyRocks Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Minnesota Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,982 Original Poster	Originally posted by Valojuova Nice! would like to see a pic from the setup also I will take one the next time do so. Maybe this weekend as it may rain.

08-22-2018, 06:09 PM	#11
Santiago Koroviev New Member Join Date: Jul 2018 Location: Belgrade, Serbia Photos: Gallery Posts: 22	Wow, nice!

08-24-2018, 11:53 AM	#12
MossyRocks Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Minnesota Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,982 Original Poster	Originally posted by Santiago Koroviev Wow, nice! I was hoping that people would like it as it this is something most people will never actually be able to see. I would still like some pointers on improving it or on technique in general.

08-31-2018, 04:18 PM	#13
carabez Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2017 Location: Cinco de Mayo Photos: Gallery Posts: 810	Originally posted by MossyRocks The image was cropped to show one full chip. shh be quiet, there is some reverse engineering disguise as forum members!!! Thank for sharing.

08-31-2018, 04:20 PM	#14
jays0n Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: San Francisco Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 471	Whoa, cool!. That would make a neat throw rug pattern.

09-01-2018, 08:03 AM	#15
MossyRocks Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2017 Location: Minnesota Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,982 Original Poster	Originally posted by carabez hh be quiet, there is some reverse engineering disguise as forum members!!! I don't think anyone would want to reverse engineer a 1260 bit PROM chip.

Macro Electro Macro 1

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