Accidentally I bought EOC E-203 metallurgical microscope(a copy of TMR-1 Yashima Optical Co. Tokyo Japan), it was just too tempting $150 for a nearly new machine. What can I say?
The right type of the lens-objective does matter. When my VST machine-vision pipe uses the lens borrowed from EOC E-203, the image quality is way better than with my cheap bio-objectives. I uploaded two short videos VST+5X lens, and EOC E-203 with the same 5X, if don't care about the shaking problem and the worse light source, IMHO, VST+5X is almost the same good as E-203.
5X looks optimal because of VST's 1-3X zoom, I found that objective on Aliexpress for $26 i.e. 3x more than bio but it is worth it.
https://www.eocmicroscope.com/a/Products/Microscope/Metallurgical_microscope/
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aaOC8lOpxTGSiBgZLmgBpssNdvHp5rCr/view?usp=sharing
PS: 40X is also impressive if you like to see some hidden logos and internal product names like "Land Shark" for ADAU1701 etc:
The right type of the lens-objective does matter. When my VST machine-vision pipe uses the lens borrowed from EOC E-203, the image quality is way better than with my cheap bio-objectives. I uploaded two short videos VST+5X lens, and EOC E-203 with the same 5X, if don't care about the shaking problem and the worse light source, IMHO, VST+5X is almost the same good as E-203.
5X looks optimal because of VST's 1-3X zoom, I found that objective on Aliexpress for $26 i.e. 3x more than bio but it is worth it.
https://www.eocmicroscope.com/a/Products/Microscope/Metallurgical_microscope/
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1aaOC8lOpxTGSiBgZLmgBpssNdvHp5rCr/view?usp=sharing
PS: 40X is also impressive if you like to see some hidden logos and internal product names like "Land Shark" for ADAU1701 etc:
E-203 has a polarizer-analyzer pair, actually, it is a pair of linear-polarizers 90+/-25dg oriented. That trick makes the image colorful and more contrast for some parts of a silicon die.
Another interesting shot is a tiny mems oscillator, it looks like an LC-based one.
PS: sorry, I forgot the link to the decent $26 lens https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256...WY0ykeQy&utparam-url=scene:search|query_from:
Another interesting shot is a tiny mems oscillator, it looks like an LC-based one.
PS: sorry, I forgot the link to the decent $26 lens https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256...WY0ykeQy&utparam-url=scene:search|query_from:
They appear to be the input pairs for the opamps. Emitters are the middle contact, you can see the metalization between the pair, the bases are above them still within the inner oval, collectors are connected to at the edge of the die. The larger purplish oval appears to be the isolation tubs for the transistors.
John
These are very nice pictures!
In my job I often send out for professional decap/ analysis and SEM of various chip/ die and hey don't be bashful about your good results.
Its fun to look at these and try and figure out what is what, inductors easy to spot, other stuff not so much unless you have a trained eye.
In my job I often send out for professional decap/ analysis and SEM of various chip/ die and hey don't be bashful about your good results.
Its fun to look at these and try and figure out what is what, inductors easy to spot, other stuff not so much unless you have a trained eye.
I think pics are just ok, at least I saw the Olympus BX51 result and it was a lot cleaner. However, for <$100 my true DIY variant is probably unbeatable indeed 😉
I am gobsmacked by all of this. I have a vague idea of what would be required back in the old days to get such a shot. Probably not hardly possible. I do remember seeing in a National Geographic (Many Years Ago) such a photo that made my head explode.
to be honest, it's not my idea to use an optical machine-vision unit with a microscopic lens attached. I saw that combo on Taobao, and I decided to try the same.
I have been involved in decap, always messy.
I have a trained eye. I had to troubleshoot digital, analog, caps, and power mosfets/bjt's/IGBT's using metallurgical scopes, SEM's, and Ion scanning microscopy back in the 80's.
The good ole days..
Now, my autopsy/analysis deeds range from a 2.4 mile long superconducting particle collider down to 4 mil wide solder joint cracks, all at one time. The great thing is, as I was doing the analysis, if I decided I needed something like edm or sem, or chem analysis, upper management would believe I knew what I was doing...and approve it. I have them so fooled...😉
Actually, I have some street cred now, as I figgered out some stuff that nobody else could..
It is so much fun that I defer my retirement. Not sure how long that fun will last.
John
ps..actually, as I did the recent failure analysis, I would talk to co-workers both in my division and two others. Most do not experience being able to talk to some of the world's best individuals in this stuff. And many of my colleagues do not understand the strength of speaking to and asking opinions of everybody from techs to physicists and scientists. I have the advantage of understanding that those around me have strengths beyond my capability, and I'm not afraid to use that..
pps..sorry about the rant.. but the understanding, I feel is very important.
Last edited:
jneutron, lgreen I have a question for experts. Is there any better staff for the decaping than H2SO4+HNO3 mixture 200C heated? I found in Taobao some "special and improved solution" for decaping ICs, see attached. So, I wondering, is it well well-old acids mix or some advanced, perhaps more active organic compound?
We had a chemist to do decap. I was not involved in the chemicals. But removing stycast epoxy or the globtop stuff used to protect the chip was very messy.
John
John
I would be concerned about an agressive plastic/epoxy solvent in a plastic bottle. It seems like a prescription for a very bad mess. Am I missing something?
I get your point, yet I would hope that the composition of the bottle could be correctly chosen.
Epoxy resin is cross-linked and is robust against solvents, strongly oxidizing acids are used to decap by reacting directly with it, not dissolving it.
It wouldn't surprize me if that bottle is PTFE which is unaffected by even the strongest oxidizing acids like aqua regia, and is often used for chemical storage containers.
OPA1611 has bipolar input whereas LME49990 was JFET input.... Either we are fooled or designs are partly reused?
