The secret smiley inside a microchip

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.

Smith had made a hobby of examining silicon chips to study their layouts but had never come across such a personal touch.