Silicon Art Gallery

Silicon Art Gallery : "Integrated Circuits (ICs) are constructed from multiple layers of material, typically silicon, silicon dioxide (glass) and aluminum. The composition and thickness of these layers give them their distinctive color and appearance. These elements created an irresistible palette for IC design and layout engineers.

The creative process involved in the design of these chips, a strong sense of pride in their work, and an artistic temperament combined compels people to want to mark their work as their own. It is very common to find initials, or groups of sets of initials on chips. This is the design engineers way of 'signing' his/her work.

Often this creative artist's instinct extends to the inclusion of small pictures or icons. These may be images of significance to the designers, comments related to the chip's function, inside jokes, or even satirical references to their corporate masters in the cartoonists tradition (e.g. the mythical 'bill sux' comment on a Pentium chip)."

You can also find more of this micro-artwork mini masterpieces at Silicon Zoo