Technology

This Microscope for Chipmaking Started as a Home Video Wannabe

Source

IEEE Spectrum

Published

Sep 17, 2025

TL;DR

AI Generated

A custom-built scanning capacitance microscope, initially inspired by RCA's failed VideoDisc technology, has evolved into the basis for commercial scanning capacitance microscopes (SCMs) used by chipmakers to analyze semiconductors. This innovative microscope, now part of the NIST Museum Collection, showcases the unexpected journey from a home video concept to a crucial tool in the semiconductor industry. Allison Marsh, a professor at the University of South Carolina, highlights the transformation of this technology in her exploration of tech history.

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