Another great teardown article by Ken Shirriff, a look inside the 555 timer chip:

Given the popularity of the 555 timer, I thought it would be interesting to find out what’s inside the 555 timer and how it works. While the 555 timer is usually sold as a black plastic IC, it is also available in a metal can, which can be cut open with a hacksaw revealing the tiny die inside.

More details at Ken Shirriff’s blog.