2026 Computer History Museum Volunteer Gift | Silicon Masters

Every year, the Computer History Museum hosts a special event to thank the roughly 130 volunteers who keep its galleries, archives, and programs running. These are the people who give their time so the rest of us can walk through the history of computing and come away inspired. To honor them, the Museum gives each volunteer a one-of-a-kind custom gift, and for the past two years that gift has been designed and manufactured by Silicon Masters.

Honoring 130 Computer History Museum Volunteers

As the number one supplier of technology-based silicon art, gifts, and awards, this is exactly the kind of project we live for. Every piece is designed and produced entirely in-house, from the first sketch to the final engraving. This year, we made something we are especially proud of: the Memory Box.

A Memory Box Built From Real Silicon

The Memory Box is a 3D-printed enclosure, and its four sides are each clad with a custom-cut section of a 12-inch (300mm) production wafer covered in memory chips. The result is a box whose surfaces shimmer with hundreds of real integrated circuits, the actual building blocks of digital memory.

On top, the lid is laser-engraved and crowned with a real production EPROM. That EPROM is not just decorative: it is the latch that lets you open the box. Lift it, and the Memory Box opens to reveal a little story tucked inside.

The Story Inside the Box

We included a pamphlet inside each box explaining the meaning behind the materials. Here is what it reads:

There is a quiet poetry to it. The chips that line the box were built to store memory. The EPROM on top, with its distinctive quartz window, could have its memory erased and rewritten under ultraviolet light. And now, repurposed into a keepsake, the whole thing becomes a place to keep memories of a different kind: the experiences, friendships, and small treasures a volunteer might want to hold onto.

Designed and Manufactured In-House by Silicon Masters

There is something fitting about a museum dedicated to the history of computing receiving a gift made from the very technology it celebrates. The Memory Box turns the physical artifacts of the semiconductor industry, including wafers, dies, and EPROMs that most people never see up close, into something you can hold, open, and live with.

Designing and producing all of it ourselves means we get to obsess over every detail: the cut of the wafer, the precision of the laser engraving, the way the EPROM lid clicks into place. For 130 volunteers who give so much of themselves to the Computer History Museum, anything less would not feel right.

To everyone who volunteers at the Computer History Museum, thank you for your work and dedication. We hope your Memory Box keeps some wonderful memories safe for years to come.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Silicon Memory Box?

The Memory Box is the 2026 Computer History Museum volunteer appreciation gift, designed and manufactured by Silicon Masters. It is a 3D-printed box with four sides clad in real 300mm memory wafers and a working production EPROM latch on top.

What materials is the Memory Box made from?

Each side is covered with a custom-cut section of an actual 12-inch (300mm) production wafer containing hundreds of integrated circuit memory chips. The lid is laser-engraved, and a real production EPROM is mounted on top as the opening mechanism.

What is an EPROM and why is it on the box?

An EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) is a production integrated circuit. Its quartz window allows stored memory to be erased with strong ultraviolet light before the chip is reprogrammed. On the Memory Box, the EPROM doubles as the latch you lift to open the lid.

Who designed and made the Computer History Museum volunteer gift?

Silicon Masters designed and manufactured the gift entirely in-house, from initial design through production. 2026 marks the latest in our ongoing work creating the Museum's annual volunteer gift.

Can Silicon Masters make custom silicon gifts and awards?

Yes. Silicon Masters is a leading supplier of technology-based silicon art, gifts, and awards, all designed and produced in-house. Reach out to commission a custom piece for your team, event, or organization.