Silicon Zoo

by Meghashri Dalvi

Why does anyone create art? Obviously for others to see it. So what is the least likely place to display art? Errr…maybe microchips?

You got it! In the dark tiny bits inside of your computer, beneath the ceramic cover of the microchips, near the intricately etched silicon lines, who could ever imagine to find complex micro art?

Well, Michael W. Davidson was not really expecting it -- when he accidentally discovered some amazing art on the chips under the microscope. He then got interested, spent some time searching for more, and guess what – discovered a whole lot of chip art! 

Over the last few years, his search has led to a sizable collection of photomicrographs (photographs taken through a microscope) featuring many interesting silicon characters. The tiny creatures are far too small to be seen with the naked eye – but under the microscope they look incredibly detailed!

Have a look at some of these gems in Michael W. Davidson‘s collection.

The Size Does Matter section explains the micro dimensions, and the Microscopy details make an interesting read. But what really takes the cake is the actual images.

The silicon zoo is appropriately populated by a number of wonderful creatures. The very real Hummingbird on an HP chip, Owls on a Philips chip, a Mustang, a Sparrow Hawk, a Full Adder on a math chip (don’t miss the pun!), there are even a herd of Buffalos on another HP chip!

Some animals have of course gone pretty crazy. This Elephant appears to fly like Superman, and this T-rex on Silicon Graphics chip has gone guitar strumming.

Mythical animals are not far behind – Godzilla appears all red and scary, while Mickey Mouse is at his usual cute self. Sonic the Hedgehog has secured a place in the micro world, and Snoopy is also etched for eternity in the silicon zoo.

The most magnificent animal, however, has to be this Cheetah. Its body elegantly poised in mid-air is a mark of a true artist. The small story behind this beautiful creature is equally amazing.

The artists seem to have a space and science fiction inclination – vividly brought out in Texas Instruments Starship Enterprise, Lunar Lander, and Space Shuttle. They also show their love for early computer games in this Pac-man etching.

The images cover a wide range of subjects. The miniature replica of the world-famous Concorde, found on an AMD chip, is probably the smallest version of the plane made to date. There is Groucho Marx, an un-sponsored Pepsi ad, a Sundial, and strangely enough - a Wedding Announcement!

Scott Adam’s famous cyber-engineer Dilbert is one character most computer professionals identify with. And so his presence is almost expected here. However, not really expected is this magnificent rendition of Thor, the Norse god of thunder. At 1.1 square millimeters in size on a HP graphics chip, this silicon artwork is not only the finest to date; it is also one of the largest.

You can also download some of these silicon zoo inhabitants as screensavers and enjoy the micro art on your desktop.

Silicon Zoo clearly shows that the engineers designing modern computer chips have a very rich sense of humor, a good hand at art, and a strong desire to leave their individual stamp on their work.

Meghashri Dalvi works as a Technical Communication Consultant, and is currently pursuing her doctoral research in management. She is a Member of STC India Chapter.