The beautiful art of a processor die.

[peachtopus]

This is a very odd question but, the beautiful rainbow of colors we think of when we hear the words "silicon die" isn’t actually everywhere, or so I’ve seen. I don’t have much experience so this may be a stupid question. But where is that beautiful piece of silicon on an Intel/AMD processor? You remove the heat spreader and you see... a shiny grey thing, not infinitely beautiful rainbows.

 

So, can someone tell me, how do I bring out the beautiful rainbow of an intel processor?

(and yes something old that i don't care about destroying.)

[Lil Chillbil]

you take a i7 then your jackhammer, now don't be afraid to use the c4.. 

[Morpheus]

[Hirad123]

The very shiny piece under the heat spreader covers the die. It is very thin so you don't wanna go about scratching it because more than likely int'll also scratch the die.

[EricX2]

I think you have to take the head spreader off, then you'll see the actual CPU die. You then would have to remove the CPU die from the PCB (I think) which I would have absolutely no idea how to do that.

 

If you have a CPU, just try. Follow normal delidding instructions to take the head spreader off, then see what you can do with the part below there. Maybe a razor blade to cut it off? If you aren't afraid of damaging it, then what is the worst that can happen?

[MdX MaxX]

The colors are there in images just to highlight the physical architecture of the chip.  The die itself isn't actually colored that way.  The same materials are used throughout the chip (Silicon, Silicon Dioxide, Copper, etc.) and wouldn't be rainbow colored at all.

 

At least as far as I know.

[NinjaStyle013]

I remember when I took apart an old AMD cpu and it was shiny and rainbows, so pretty

[nj4ck]

forget the rainbow colors. You're not getting to those without smashing the die, and there won't be much left of the colorful stuff after that.

[peachtopus]

The colors are there in images just to highlight the physical architecture of the chip.  The die itself isn't actually colored that way.  The same materials are used throughout the chip (Silicon, Silicon Dioxide, Copper, etc.) and wouldn't be rainbow colored at all.

 

At least as far as I know.

Have you ever seen a silicon wafer? its very shiny and has a rainbow halogram effect.

 

 

I think you have to take the head spreader off, then you'll see the actual CPU die. You then would have to remove the CPU die from the PCB (I think) which I would have absolutely no idea how to do that.

 

If you have a CPU, just try. Follow normal delidding instructions to take the head spreader off, then see what you can do with the part below there. Maybe a razor blade to cut it off? If you aren't afraid of damaging it, then what is the worst that can happen?

so basicly start SLOWLY sanding away at the grey shiny thing under the spreder?

[jscho]

If you hold a delidded Ivy/Haswell up to light in a certain way, you can see the intricate details of the die. It's quite pretty in person actually :wub: But the shiny layer is to protect it.

[MdX MaxX]

Have you ever seen a silicon wafer? its very shiny and has a rainbow halogram effect.

I haven't in person.  Good to know.  I assumed it was artificial as different diagrams have all sorts of different color schemes.

 

But yeah, I'm sure a protective material sits on the die in the final product.

[ray_p1]

this is the best i can do 

[peachtopus]

this is the best i can do 

YES!!! THIS GUY GETS IT! Now, how you do this?

[ray_p1]

i took a razer blade and slowly pressed it in the corners between the metal plate and the pcb and worked my way around the cpu until i was able to pull the metal plate off.

but when i pulled it off the die split in two thats the top metal plate the pcb has the other half.

thats a pentium 4  HT. 3.2 GHZ  just a fun fact.

[Kilerbomb]

Apparently you can buy silicon wafers on ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/6-Etched-Silicon-Wafer-w-chips-NEW-from-manufacturer-Practically-Flawless-B-/321053071408?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ac0411830

[Lil Chillbil]

Apparently you can buy silicon wafers on ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/6-Etched-Silicon-Wafer-w-chips-NEW-from-manufacturer-Practically-Flawless-B-/321053071408?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ac0411830

 

what is that like a 486 wafer lol its only $16 

[juretrn]

How about just grinding it down with some fine sandpaper?

[peachtopus]

Apparently you can buy silicon wafers on ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/6-Etched-Silicon-Wafer-w-chips-NEW-from-manufacturer-Practically-Flawless-B-/321053071408?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ac0411830

But try to find an Intel one.

 

I thought it was referred to as a "wafer"? nonetheless pretty interesting, nice thread.

Thank you! Its my first ever!

 

i took a razer blade and slowly pressed it in the corners between the metal plate and the pcb and worked my way around the cpu until i was able to pull the metal plate off.

but when i pulled it off the die split in two thats the top metal plate the pcb has the other half.

thats a pentium 4  HT. 3.2 GHZ  just a fun fact.

i actually planned to do this with a Pentium 4. LOL! But I’ve removed heat spreaders (metal plate) from these and never had the die stick.

 

I’m thinking the best thing to do is to just do the same thing to the 2nd piece of metal as done to the first.

This is the image i have in my head...

 

 

 

                                                   _____Heat spreader

 ________________________/

|              __________              |

|              |   ______    |\            |

                         \_Die   \___Inner silvery bit.

 

Not my best work but you get the idea.

[TimGOAT]

lol

[beebskadoo]

You summoned me?.....

[peachtopus]

im convinced its the under side of the shiny grey thing im after. but i cant work out how to get to it im curently trying with a box cutter and a dremal. (edit) and sand paper.

 

sorry for the spelling, don't know why theres no spell check on this forum.

[peachtopus]

I have faild! after geting to the underside of what i belive to be the die, my technique rendered the die... not so beautiful.

 

this is the best i can do 

How ray_p1 got his to do that remains a mystery to me, maby one day i will too see the glourious that is a bare, flawless intel die.    @.@

[ray_p1]

i may have been vary lucky i may try again to see what i can get next time.

[amintha1992]

what you need to understand is how one would see the rainbow colours on a silicon Die. think about a CD. there are millions of tiny lines etched on to the surface of the plastic materiel. these lines causes the light to split on to its different wave lengths causing the rainbow effect.

 

this is the same thing that happens on the processor die. there are millions if not billions of tiny (nano meters - manufacturing process determine this) traces and transistors that scatter the light on the same way a CD or millions of water particulars in the air does.

 

so if you can find the etched layers of a CPU die (which can be underneath the IHS and a layer of shiny silicon) you will see the rainbow effect

 

now also keep in mind that the pics you see on intel and AMD adds and stuff is take under special lighting conditions and camera equipment.

 

what you see with your naked eyed might be different. 

[peachtopus]

what you need to understand is how one would see the rainbow colours on a silicon Die. think about a CD. there are millions of tiny lines etched on to the surface of the plastic materiel. these lines causes the light to split on to its different wave lengths causing the rainbow effect.

 

this is the same thing that happens on the processor die. there are millions if not billions of tiny (nano meters - manufacturing process determine this) traces and transistors that scatter the light on the same way a CD or millions of water particulars in the air does.

 

so if you can find the etched layers of a CPU die (which can be underneath the IHS and a layer of shiny silicon) you will see the rainbow effect

 

now also keep in mind that the pics you see on intel and AMD adds and stuff is take under special lighting conditions and camera equipment.

 

what you see with your naked eyed might be different. 

i found this simple information by doing a google search, but thanks any way.