The Z1: first home-made lithographically-fabricated IC - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: bitwelder
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2018, 09:16:00 pm
content: That's quite a feat!http://sam.zeloof.xyz/first-ic/

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2018, 11:00:43 pm
content: What a stunning achievement!I like his site motto: "It's not enough to have a dream, you have to have a garage."Preferably a huge garage.

author: tpowell1830
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 03, 2018, 11:08:41 pm
content: What a great achievement, and kudos to Jeri as well for pioneering!

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2018, 05:54:07 am
content: There is SO MUCH other interesting stuff on his site too.http://sam.zeloof.xyzFor eg:http://sam.zeloof.xyz/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/hv_ref_manual.pdfSpellman - High Voltage Reference Manual

author: gnavigator1007
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 04, 2018, 10:44:17 am
content: I'd mostly followed his stuff on Twitter for some time and been really blown away. Had no idea until the last amp hour that he's still in high school

author: lukier
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: May 04, 2018, 11:23:29 am
content: Wow, this is awesome achievement!When I was in highschool I saved my pocket money and bought Ayoue 2 in 1 combo and was gifted an old 1 MHz 1 Ch analog scope from my uncle and I thought it was something.Even now I doubt I would be able to afford to rent a huge garage (partially because London) and fill it with SEMs, all this high vacuum stuff, machine shop and so so on. Added up, even if eBay scores, this would be insanely expensive. Space wise it is even worse. I always wanted one of these Faxitron x-rays, used are not stupidly expensive, but I absolutely don't have any space for that.

author: Red Squirrel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 04, 2018, 01:10:28 pm
content: Wow that's a pretty awesome achievement.

author: rhb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 05, 2018, 12:44:28 am
content: That took some *deep* pockets.

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 05, 2018, 04:17:27 am
content: Quote from: rhb on May 05, 2018, 12:44:28 amYep. Nearly brings me to tears thinking of it. I had a quite financially deprived childhood. Not to mention knowing NO ONE with any technical skills, and no Internet.His vacuum chamber and rig fills me with envy.

author: ruairi
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: May 05, 2018, 04:44:33 am
content: Quote from: rhb on May 05, 2018, 12:44:28 amGive 1,000 people the money and gear to do this and I'd bet on maybe one making it across the line. His parents are both engineers and there's obviously help in the family but the sheer will power to figure this out is what's truly amazing. It feels a little dismissive to focus on what it cost IMO.

author: rhb
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: May 05, 2018, 02:07:46 pm
content: Quote from: ruairi on May 05, 2018, 04:44:33 amThat depends upon which 1000 people you gave access to such equipment and assistance. It's certainly a remarkable feat, but I should not rank it with Jerri Ellsworth who has accomplished much the same but without someone else providing a million dollar workshop.I'm about to turn 65. I have machine shop facilities but am just now acquiring proper electronics gear. At age 42 my dad had a *really* nice shop with lots of bins of parts and tools and test gear. All impeccably organized and labeled.He chose the tubes and designed and built a hi-fi audio amp from scratch, was building an oscilloscope from scratch. Built a couple of Klipschorn knockoffs from the patent drawings (which Paul saw but never heard as the drivers were dead 30 years later). Then Dad's employer moved him in 1960 and then again in 1962. He never was able to get his shop set up again. He had a feeble attempt at one when he passed away at 91.I am in the process of going through his stuff. The more I learn about Dad in the process of doing that the more I want to weep for him and the tremendous frustration he went through the last 50 years of his life. Dad loved designing and building things, but felt obligated to defer his desires for the sake of his children.I live in a small rural town in Arkansas. When we moved here in 1962 there were enough books in the public library to teach yourself electronics which I and a a few friends did, got ham licenses, etc. There are now NO technical books in the library. The high school library does not have a single book on algebra! But they have a wonderful athletic program.I proposed setting up a club station and workbench to the local ham club so the few kids who actually are interested in such things would not have to just sit and dream. So far I have had no response or interest from the members. And I have vacant commercial space I was offering at no charge.IMO A lot more kids could do remarkable things if the resources were made available. But the refrain I hear is "not enough kids would use them". That's true, only 5-10% of the population are interested in STEM disciplines. That's probably all society needs. But instead of intelligently catering to the needs of those few, we have this daft idea that we should turn all the sow's ears into silk purses. I have personally embarked on rebuilding the library, but am finding just getting shelf space in the library difficult. The librarian in charge of the non-fiction section told me, "You can't learn electronics from a book. You have to go to college for that."One of my friends growing up went on to become a *very* good professional EE. He grew up in a two room, uninsulated shack that did not even have interior wall facing. They had an outhouse in the back and a hand drawn well in the front. Heat in the winter was a small wood stove. A few years ago he designed a remote reading conversion for water meters with a 15 year battery design life. What would he have done with access to a first class workshop? Our principle source of income as kids was collecting soda bottles and turning them in for the deposits.