The Hunt for a Lost Microscopic Art World

New York Times

12-08-2025

In 2020, Kenton Smith, an engineer, was peering through a microscope at electronic devices, admiring the intricate designs.
As he studied something called a voltage comparator, he saw a face staring back.
In one corner of the chip was a crude microscopic smiley face, about .004 inches wide, etched onto the surface.
Mr. Smith had made a hobby of examining silicon chips to study their layouts but had never come across such a personal touch.
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In 2020, Kenton Smith, an engineer, was peering into a microscope at an integrated circuit, admiring the intricate designs. The hobby was by then routine, but this time was different: Through the lens, a face stared back.
In one corner of the chip was a crude microscopic smiley face, about .004 inches wide, etched onto the surface. Mr. Smith had made a hobby of examining silicon chips to study their layouts but had never come across such a personal touch.
Mr. Smith had stumbled upon a relic of another era. The images, commonly known as silicon doodles, were used around the 1970s and after as a form of expression and to protect against technological theft. The doodles could be tame — the designer's initials — or elaborate and whimsical, like a Tyrannosaurus rex driving a convertible.
Though well documented, the doodles are a rarity, and the practice has largely been phased out. The hunt for them requires time, money for parts and an archaeologist's spirit as collectors search flea markets and online auctions for the chance to unscrew hardware casings, whittle down chip caps and train their eyes to catch a glimpse of magic.
'It blew me away,' said Mr. Smith, 36, who is from Madison, Wis. He now works in digital design, but from a young age he was interested in electronics and computers. He was especially drawn to the 'hidden beauty' of integrated circuits, he said.
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