Tallahassee, Fla. - Dan Zuras admits he never thought he'd be alive when a scientist discovered the microscopic Road Runner image he engraved on a computer chip 16 years ago.

But then again, at the time, who knew the minute circuitry of microprocessors would grace the pages of wall calendars in the 1990s?

Wee pictures of everything from animals to license plates have become the signatures of chip creators, But knowledge of this practive generally stayed within industry circles - until Florida State University researcher Michael Davidson discovered the imprints left by engineers under his highpower microscope.