Chips lovers, I though you might enjoy "opening microchips and what's inside?"

[Transisto]

http://www.reddit.com/r/programming/comments/19wdjf/how_to_open_a_microchip_and_whats_inside/

http://zeptobars.ru/en/read/how-to-open-microchip-asic-what-inside

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[Cablez]

That is pretty cool stuff there.  Makes me wish I still worked in a lab.

[flynn]

Awesome

Thank you Transisto

[FreedomCoin]

pretty cool, looking forward to the 2nd video.

[Phinnaeus Gage]

Color me confused!

If this is a chip...



Then this is just a part of the chip.



Yet, weren't we led to believe that the following is a chip?

[Gabi]

The last image is another chip, it is not the same of the first two.

[Jorgeminator]

Aaw, chippy is happy  

[ChipGeek]

Color me confused!

If this is a chip...



Then this is just a part of the chip.



Yet, weren't we led to believe that the following is a chip?

Different chip designs look different - just like different motherboard designs look different.  

Of your 3 photos, I believe the last one is actually a CAD software output of an earlier revision of the BFL ASIC.  I think that was the version for he QFN package.  The newest one that should ship "within 4 to 6 weeks" has a different top layer metal for the BGA package but almost certainly looks the same / similar to this photo if you remove the top layer.

[ChipGeek]

For the record:  From my decades of experience with chip design, I believe BFL's ASIC is real and all that has been stated publicly (including the crappy lengthy delays) is consistent with typical teething pains accompanying a first effort in such a project - especially from a company that has never done it before.  If it is in fact a hoax / scam, then they have REALLY done their homework in generating photos and statements consistent enough to fool me.  However, I am confident that it is real.

Disclaimer: I own one BFL Single (FPGA) and have one SC Single (ASIC) on order.  Although I'm obviously biased, I try very hard to remove that bias from any technical evaluation.

[aTg]

It would be nice to see an ASIC of Avalon, Asicminer or BFL.
Transisto, what do you think about the posibility of clone one of these three chips?

[BarsMonster]

It would be nice to see an ASIC of Avalon, Asicminer or BFL.
Transisto, what do you think about the posibility of clone one of these three chips?

He-he, I've just made an "official" request : https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=153739.0

About cloning: It's not practical. It's cheaper to design from scratch. The major issue is large NRE cost (non-recurring engineering), it's unlikely that yet another player would return investments.