Translating step 8
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Let's start by cutting into the A6 to see what drives it.
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What does the top of a metal die of the A6 processor look like? To us it looks like a Wheat Thin.
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So how were these photos created, you may ask? Well, we took a picture of a Wheat Thin. Chipworks opted to go the long route:
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The A6 is first decapsulated in a fuming sulfuric acid solution, heated to a temperature designed to get best results.
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Then, Chipworks engineers use a microscope to take images of the die. The die is loaded onto a servo controlled X-Y table, and focus is set and maintained by laser monitoring.
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Image coordinates are programmed into the system. The microscope moves the die automatically and takes several images, which are stitched together to create the full die photo.
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One of the machines used for the process can be seen in the third image.