The surface of flip-chip pin grid array (PGA) chips is covered with tiny collapsible solder "balls" that are reminiscent of stainless steel pinballs. We captured many of these connectors on the surface of an IBM PowerPC 620 microprocessor chip with the QX3 microscope.

The digital images presented above were captured using the oblique illuminator built into the microscope head with the assistance of a Dolan-Jenner Model 180 fiber optics illuminator using a 150 watt projection lamp. The light pipes of the illuminator were placed at approximately a 45-degree angle with respect to the optical axis of the microscope and were positioned to evenly illuminate the specimen. In many cases, colored gels were placed into filter holders and attached to the front of the light pipes to add color to the chip surfaces. A 2-inch square section of black paper was placed over the diffusion filter on the stage of the microscope to avoid any glare from transmitted illumination.

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