Computers have become practically indispensable in modern times, infiltrating almost every area of daily life. However, when an engineer at Texas Instruments named Jack Kilby developed the first integrated circuit, which consisted of three electronic components on a single silicon disc, in 1958 few could foresee the full magnitude of his actions.

As scientists and engineers improved chips so that they could hold thousands and then millions of components, computers became increasingly smaller and more affordable. The first integrated circuits had to be contrived to correspond to a special purpose, but today one microprocessor can be manufactured and then programmed to meet any number of demands. Technological advances have made computers so much more efficient and reliable that they have become integrated into many aspects of society. People can now easily keep up with the office from home, instantly access and withdraw money from their bank accounts, access large databases of information in seconds, and exciting new uses for computers are continually being developed.

One of the latest areas of development is a tiny computer ID chip that can be placed under the skin of humans. Similar technology has been used for several years with animals and has successfully given pound workers another way to identify a lost pest. If the technology becomes accepted for human use security would be greatly increased, aiding in cases of missing persons, other crimes, and medical emergencies. However, there are fears that the microchips could lead to civil liberty encroachments and the desirability of the technology is greatly debated.

Pad Ring in Brightfield Illumination - Although lacking in contrast when compared to darkfield or differential interference contrast illumination techniques, brightfield images of computer chips often reveal surface details not visible with other techniques.

Scribe Line Intersection - Appearing much like an aerial view of a city street, this differential interference contrast image reveals the corners of four individual chips on a single wafer.

Pad Ring "13" in DIC - Left on the die by chip designers, the number "13" is visible at high magnifications when imaged with reflected light differential interference contrast (DIC) on this chip of unknown function.

Pad Ring "13" in Darkfield - Reflected light darkfield illumination was utilized to image the pad ring bearing the number 13. Although contrast is higher in darkfield, overall specimen details are more difficult to discern using this technique.

Chip Designer's Initials - The techies who design computer chips often sign their work by placing their initials in strategic, but non-functional, locations on the chip surface. This digital image reveals several sets of initials tucked away near the pad rings.

Processing Plants - Often, as described above, the surface of a computer chip will strongly resemble an aerial photograph. The image in this section appears to be a processing plant (perhaps a sewage treatment facility) taken from an altitude of approximately 5,000 feet at night.