Micro Chip

Alain visited one of his semiconductor customers, where strict protocols were required to enter the cleanroom without risking contamination.

Since Alain has a beard, additional precautions were necessary. The gowning process included:
1-Removing all personal items
2-Stepping on sticky mats to eliminate dust and debris from shoes
3-Putting on a hairnet and beard cover
4-Wearing shoe covers
5-Donning a full-body coverall suit
6-Wearing gloves
7-Putting on a face mask
8-Wearing goggles
9-Securing a cleanroom hood
10-Putting on a final pair of gloves over the sleeves
11-Passing through an air shower chamber to remove any remaining particles

Afterward, Alain was allowed to keep most of the equipment (except for the goggles), turning the experience into a memorable one. Intrigued by the meticulous process, he decided to capture it in an oil painting.

At the center of the composition is a semiconductor wafer—an intricate surface densely packed with computer chips, reflecting a mesmerizing rainbow glow, even more striking than a CD or DVD. This effect proved to be one of the most challenging aspects to paint.

In the top left corner, Alain depicted a figure fully equipped in cleanroom attire, as he had worn. The lower left showcases a close-up of a single microchip, revealing the intricate register and memory design. On the right, a microscopic view magnifies structures as small as 2 micrometers, where the delicate layers of deposited material form the transistors and logic gates essential to semiconductor function.

This painting became an artistic challenge, blending technology and precision—just like the cleanroom experience itself. Alain isn't certain he fully captured the complexity of the wafer’s shimmering colors, but the journey of translating it onto canvas was as fascinating as the cleanroom process that inspired it.