As we celebrate our 40th anniversary, we’re excited to bring back a long‑time community favorite:
The Ugly SEM & Tool Photo Challenge, reintroduced this year as our special throwback event.

We invite all attendees to submit their most unusual, striking, or unexpectedly delightful SEM images or tool‑side photos. Think elegant microstructures, surprising particles, mystery patterns, or that one tool snapshot that perfectly captures life in the fab. If it tells a story, we want to see it.

Whether you participate to compete, to contribute, or simply to share a unique glimpse into your fabrication world, we look forward to the images that will make this year’s anniversary contest one to remember.

Register for the conference and use the following link to complete your conference contest submission!

CS MANTECH 2026: Throwback Conference Contest – Ugly SEM & Tool Photo Challenge – Fill out form

Throwback Spotlight: “The Big Bad Wolf”
“This big bad wolf is in Ohmic metal, and if you’re not careful, he’ll huff, and he’ll puff, and he’ll blow your yield down!”

A standout from CS MANTECH’s past Ugly SEM & Tool Photo Challenges, proof that even routine process steps can surprise us with unexpected silhouettes.

This photo captures a patch of metal left behind after photoresist damage or incomplete lift‑off, creating a shape uncannily reminiscent of a wolf on the hunt. A fab folklore classic.