Tearing Down the Nearly Invisible

This paper discusses use of reverse engineering by various mechanical engineering companies and its benefits. The paper points out that reverse engineering—tearing down mechanical devices—is a natural way to learn how things work. Reverse engineering lies at the very heart of the profession. The paper also presents the ADXL330 case study, which shows how semiconductor technology does more for less money. With its 3-axis sensing, the ADXL330 is the first step toward cheap, low-power gyroscopes. It can provide motion-sensitive flip-wrist scrolling in mobile phones or image stabilization in digital cameras. Like many microelectromechanical systems, Analog Devices' ADXL330 has much larger features than modern integrated circuits. Chipworks focused on changes that have transformed reverse engineering of computer chips. The paper suggests that the ability of Chipworks and other companies like it to probe the micro and nanoscale world of today's silicon technology does provide valuable insights.