4 ms·

A home-made lithographically-fabricated integrated circuit (2018)

114 points by punnerud 5y ago

_Microft 5y ago
If you are curious how Sam is creating these chips, he has a video [0] about his maskless [1] photolithography machine here. He built it ("cobbled it together", in his words) from a microscope and a DLP projector. The microscope is used in reverse, so he's feeding the image into the wrong end (i.e. where the ocular would be) and uses the optics to concentrate it onto the wafer. The DLP was modified by removing the color wheel because that attenuated the UV radiation that is wanted to cure the photoresist on the wafer. A lot of his equipment is home-built, which, as I would guess, saves him a lot of money. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nxz_ENnmgtI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nxz_ENnmgtI [1] A photomask is a plate with the patterns of the features of the design that will be projected onto the wafer, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photomask https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photomask
_Microft 5y ago
Sam's second IC, the Z2, was discussed a few days ago. You can find the discussion here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28176255 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28176255 dang has a comment with links to other related discussions in there.
- punnerud 5y ago
  Thank you, did not know it was posted before
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
Havoc 5y ago
wow didn't realise just how small they are until the pic with the screw in the picture showed up. Impressive work!
baybal2 5y ago
It took years for this man to get to the point where he is now, and all this with modern equipment, and widely available literature. Imagine what a monumental feat it was 50 years ago. Him doing it all by himself is something quite extraordinary by itself. I can't imagine if that all can be replicated even by a mid-sized research university with decent labs (academia, and research outsource almost everything from their lab scale chip plants besides things which make their area of expertise.)
- netr0ute 5y ago
  > a mid-sized research university with decent labs What kind of university are you talking about? This could be anywhere from some random state school to Princeton.
  - baybal2 5y ago
    A university which can afford semi equipment. Even 30 years old process tools cost eye watering sums.
    - netr0ute 5y ago
      > cost eye watering sums The good universities like Princeton/MIT/Harvard have literal billions, so semi equipment could be a drop in the bucket for them.
      - baybal2 5y ago
        Not every university is Princeton/MIT/Harvard
        inglor_cz 5y ago
        Well, maybe they could share access with some less endowed institutions.
        netr0ute 5y ago
        You know what they say, go big or go home

114 points by punnerud 5y ago

If you are curious how Sam is creating these chips, he has a video [0] about his maskless [1] photolithography machine here. He built it ("cobbled it together", in his words) from a microscope and a DLP projector. The microscope is used in reverse, so he's feeding the image into the wrong end (i.e. where the ocular would be) and uses the optics to concentrate it onto the wafer. The DLP was modified by removing the color wheel because that attenuated the UV radiation that is wanted to cure the photoresist on the wafer. A lot of his equipment is home-built, which, as I would guess, saves him a lot of money. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nxz_ENnmgtI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nxz_ENnmgtI [1] A photomask is a plate with the patterns of the features of the design that will be projected onto the wafer, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photomask https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photomask

_Microft 5y ago

Sam's second IC, the Z2, was discussed a few days ago. You can find the discussion here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28176255 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28176255 dang has a comment with links to other related discussions in there.

punnerud 5y ago
Thank you, did not know it was posted before

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

Havoc 5y ago

wow didn't realise just how small they are until the pic with the screw in the picture showed up. Impressive work!

baybal2 5y ago

It took years for this man to get to the point where he is now, and all this with modern equipment, and widely available literature. Imagine what a monumental feat it was 50 years ago. Him doing it all by himself is something quite extraordinary by itself. I can't imagine if that all can be replicated even by a mid-sized research university with decent labs (academia, and research outsource almost everything from their lab scale chip plants besides things which make their area of expertise.)

netr0ute 5y ago
> a mid-sized research university with decent labs What kind of university are you talking about? This could be anywhere from some random state school to Princeton.
- baybal2 5y ago
  A university which can afford semi equipment. Even 30 years old process tools cost eye watering sums.
  - netr0ute 5y ago
    > cost eye watering sums The good universities like Princeton/MIT/Harvard have literal billions, so semi equipment could be a drop in the bucket for them.
    - baybal2 5y ago
      Not every university is Princeton/MIT/Harvard
      - inglor_cz 5y ago
        Well, maybe they could share access with some less endowed institutions.
      - netr0ute 5y ago
        You know what they say, go big or go home