2010
12.15

IC Construction

For one of my classes this term, we were asked to make a 3D model of a MOSFET as a way to better understand how they are physically constructed. I was flipping through a few different ways of doing it (LEGO, clay, digital model, jell-o, etc.) and finally settled on making a simple pop-up book, chosen for portability and, most importantly, simple construction. The picture to the right is the prototype; the model I handed in had nice colours and a cover page attached. If there is any interest, I can post my source file.

When all of us in the class brought our models in, we all voted on our favourites and I was in the top 3! For a prize, I received a mask from a 1994 IBM chip/set of chips.The thing is pretty neat looking and gives an appreciation for the precision required during manufacture. This thing will likely be adorning my desk for quite some time.

2010
12.14

Hey everyone. Sorry I haven’t posted in a long time. School has been surprisingly draining lately. I can assure you though that I am still around, despite being hit by a car while biking home a couple months ago (don’t worry, no serious injuries). I’m in the middle of exams, but I’m hoping to post a little more regularly. I have a few post ideas queued up, so we should be good for a bit. I also have a few projects I’m working on, so hopefully I’ll get some work logs up here.

Anyway, I’ll finish this post off with some pictures of my fancy new shoes. I was drawn to these shoes, partly for the style and partly for the price, but when I flipped them over to check for a sticker, I was quickly convinced I had found my new shoes. Sadly, the designer didn’t take reflections in high school. 10 points1 to whoever finds the errors in the shoes. So far it seems that the outlines of the keys are the only part that transfer to our cold Canadian snow, so things are still fine with the footprints.

  1. Note: Points have no cash value. Subject to website owners discretion. Rules and regulations subject to change. Etc. []