GoKawiilHobbyists publish free archive of 356 photographed processor dies spanning 1972-2024
A small group of enthusiasts, including Pauli Rautakorpi, ZeptoBars, John McMaster and Fritzchens Fritz, have been sanding or dissolving chip packages to expose the bare silicon die and photographing it under a microscope. Their combined work, now totaling 356 processors dating from 1972 to 2024, has been compiled into a single browsable collection that lets users view each chip at true relative scale.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The project offers a rare visual record of how processor design and manufacturing have physically evolved over five decades, something not typically documented outside specialist labs. Because the images are freely shared, they could serve as a resource for historians, engineers, and educators studying semiconductor evolution without needing access to expensive imaging equipment themselves.
- Archive spans 356 processor dies photographed between 1972 and 2024
- Contributors include Pauli Rautakorpi, ZeptoBars, John McMaster, and Fritzchens Fritz
- Collection allows true-scale comparison across 114 chips of known size
Jiusion USB Digital Microscope — If peering at processor dies photographed by hobbyists sparks your curiosity, a USB microscope lets you explore PCB traces, chip packages, and tiny components yourself. It's a fun, affordable way to get hands-on with the same kind of close-up silicon exploration featured in the article. Great for tinkerers, solderers, and anyone curious about the hidden world inside electronics.
See Jiusion USB Digital Microscope on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: sheets.works, 2026-11-07
Published there as: “Every processor die anyone has photographed and given away”
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