Culture is not just an ornament, it is the expression of a nation's character
We can deny our heritage and our history, but we cannot
escape responsibility for the results (Edward R. Murrow)
The Excavation of a Computer Chip
Published on 14 July 2011
Type: 
Feature
In order to preserve the MOS Technology 6502 central processing unit, the team at Visual 6502 had to reverse engineer the chip. And, in order to do that, it had to survey it, peering beneath its packaging and dissecting and diagramming its three primary layers: its top layer of metal, its middle layer of polysilicon, and its bottom layer of silicon, which is called the "substrate."
Visual 6502 team member Greg James took on the task of "decapping" the chip (removing it from its plastic packaging) and then investigating it layer by layer, documenting what he saw as he delved deeper. To date, he's depackaged 80 different microprocessors. Here's how the process unfolds.
Latest news
10 May 2012
Syrian Expatriates Organization Reports that Syria's Ancient Sites and Antiquities in Danger, Deliberately Targeted
Assad disregards 'crossroad of civilization'
Syrian revolution one stitch at a time
Knitting protest
Ghana: Culture Gets Louder Voice
Ghana Culture Forum to create a platform for cultural activists
9 May 2012
Abkhazia: Preserving Cultural Heritage
Response to claim of destruction
Let them eat the cake called culture. Guess who got a 125% hike
Choices: to cut or not to cut the budget
8 May 2012
Dealing with the past in post-conflict societies
Fencing-in or framing historical narratives about the past
7 May 2012
Rebels burn Timbuktu tomb listed as U.N. World Heritage site
Fear of destruction justified