Integrated Circuit

Describe an Integrated Circuit

An integrated circuit (IC), sometimes called a chip, microchip or microelectronic circuit, is a
semiconductor wafer on which thousands or millions of tiny resistors, capacitors, diodes and
transistors are fabricated.

Integrated circuits are a combination of diodes, microprocessors, and transistors in a

minimized form on a wafer made of silicon. Each of these components has a specific
function. These can perform calculations and multiple tasks when combined with each other.

Why do we use Integrated circuit?

The importance of the integrated circuit
(IC) is in its ability to allow for the
miniaturization of components. Smaller
components means smaller overall size,
which allowed for the creation of
almost every device we use today from
smart TVs to cell phones.
The integrated circuit (IC) has millions
of electronic components, like
transistors, resistors, and capacitors, constructed into a single unit. Today almost every
electronic device (computers, cell phones, cars, televisions, digital watches) use ICs due to its
small size and high reliability and efficiency. Without ICs, electronic gadgets would be much
slower and bulkier.
 ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES

PROVIDING HIGH LEVELS OF BEING VULNERABLE TO ELECTROMAGNETIC

FUNCTIONALITY AND PERFORMANCE INTERFERENCE

BEING SMALL AND LIGHTWEIGHT BEING PRONE TO FAILURE

BEING ENERGY EFFICIENT REQUIRING SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT AND

SKILLS FOR PREPARE OR REPLACEMENT

BEING RESISTENT TO PHYSICAL DAMAGE BEING EXPENSIVE TO DESIGN AND PRODUCE

BEING EASY TO MASS-PRODUCE BEING SUBJECT TO OBSOLESCENCE

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF AN INTEGRATED CIRCUITS

ADVANTAGES
Providing high levels of functionality and performance
Integrated circuits (integrated high levels of functionality and performance, making them suitable wide
range of application.
Being small and lightweight
Integrated circuits are small and lightweight, making them easy to transport and integrate into a variety of
devices and systems.
Being energy-efficient
Integrated circuits are energy-efficient, reducing power consumption and extending the lifespan of the
device or system in which they are used.
Being resistant to Physical damage
Integrated circuits are resistant to physical damage, making them suitable for use in rugged or harsh
environments.
 Being easy to mass-produce
Integrated circuits can be mass-produce quickly and efficiently, making them cost-effective and widely
available.

DISADVANTAGE
Being vulnerable to electromagnetic interference
Integrated circuits are vulnerable to electromagnetic interference, which can disrupt their operation and
affect the performance of the device or system in which they are used.
Being prone to failure
Integrated circuits are prone to failure, as they can be damage by excess heat, voltage, or physical stress.
Requiring specialized equipment and skills for repair or replacement
Integrated circuits require specialized equipment and skills for repair or replacement, making it difficult
for non-experts to fix or maintain them.
Being expensive to design and produce
Integrated circuits can be expensive to design and produce especially for complex or specialized
applications.
Being subject to obsolescence
Integrated circuits are subject to obsolescence, as newer, more advance technologies are constantly being
developed and released. This can make it difficult to maintain or upgrade devices or systems that rely on
older IC’s.

Major Components of an Integrated Circuits

ELECTRIC CIRCUIT
The electric circuits are closed-loop or paths,
forming a network of electrical components
where electrons can flow. This path is made
using electrical wires and is powered by a
source, like a battery. The start of the point from
where the electrons start flowing is called the
source, whereas the point where electrons leave
the electrical circuit is called the return.
RESISTOR

The main purpose of resistor is to reduce the current flow and to lower the voltage in any particular
portion of the circuit. It is made of copper wires which are coiled around a ceramic rod and the outer
part of the resistor is coated with an insulating paint.

TRANSISTOR
A transistor is an electronic component that is used in
circuits to either amplify or switch electrical signals or
power, allowing it to be used in a wide array of electronic
devices. A transistor consists of two PN diodes connected
back to back. It has three terminals namely emitter, base
and collector. The basic idea behind a transistor is that it
lets you control the flow of current through one channel by varying the intensity of a much smaller
current that’s flowing through a second channel.

DIODES
Diodes are used to protect circuits by limiting the
voltage and to also transform AC into DC.
Semiconductors like silicon and germanium are
used to make the most of the diodes. Even though
they transmit current in a single direction, the way
with which they transmit differs. There are different
kinds of diodes and each type has its own
applications.
CAPACITOR
A capacitor is a two-terminal electrical device that can
store energy in the form of an electric charge. It
consists of two electrical conductors that are separated
by a distance. The space between the conductors may
be filled by vacuum or with an insulating material
known as a dielectric. The ability of the capacitor to
store charges is known as capacitance.

FOUR PROCESSES USED TO CONSTRUCT INTEGRATED CIRCUITS

 Wafer manufacturing (crystal growth-slicing-edge grinding-polishing-wrapping-

shipping)
-Crystal growth requires a highly accurate automated crystal pulling system. Quartz ore is
refined by electric arc furnace, chlorinated with hydrochloric acid, and distilled to make
high-purity polysilicon, whose purity is as high as 0.99999999999. A small amount of
electroactive "dopants" such as arsenic, boron, phosphorus, or antimony are added to the
polysilicon obtained by refining quartz ore, and they are melted together in a high-
temperature furnace. A long crystal cable is then used as a seed crystal and inserted into the
bottom of the molten polysilicon. Then, rotate the cable and slowly pull it out. After cooling,
a cylindrical single crystal silicon ingot, that is, a silicon rod is formed. This process is called
"crystal growth." Silicon rods are generally 3 feet long and come in 6-, 8-, and 12-inch
diameters. After the silicon ingot is ground, polished, and sliced, it becomes the basic raw
material for manufacturing integrated circuits-wafers.
-Slicing uses special internal blades to cut silicon rods into thin wafers with precise geometries.
Then, the surface and edges of the wafer are polished, ground, and cleaned. The sharp edges of
the newly cut wafer are rounded to remove rough scratches and impurities, and a nearly perfect
silicon wafer is obtained.
-After the wafer manufacturing is completed, professional equipment is needed to package and
transport these nearly perfect silicon wafers. Wafer Carriers provide semiconductor
manufacturers with fast, consistent, and reliable wafer pick-and-place.
 Deposition
-The epitaxial layer is the first layer deposited on a semiconductor wafer. Most modern epitaxial
growth depositions use low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) to grow silicon films
on silicon substrates. The epitaxial layer is formed of ultra-pure silicon and acts as a buffer layer
to prevent harmful impurities from entering the silicon substrate. In the past, bipolar processes
generally required the use of epitaxial layers, and CMOS technology was not used. Since the
epitaxial layer may enable the use of wafers with a small number of defects, it may be more used
on 300mm wafers in the future.
-Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is a technique that deposits a mixture on the wafer surface by
decomposing gas molecules. CVD produces many non-plasma thermal intermediates. One
common aspect is that these intermediates or precursors are all gases. There are many types of
CVD technologies, such as thermal CVD, plasma CVD, non-plasma CVD, atmospheric CVD,
LPCVD, HDPCVD, LDPCVD, PECVD, etc., which are applied to different aspects of
semiconductor manufacturing.
-Physical Vapor Deposition, The most common metal interconnect material on a wafer is Al, and
a physical vapor deposition (PVD) method is commonly used to prepare metal material films. In
the PVD system, the Al target is bombarded with ions, so that Al atoms on the target surface
escape with a certain energy, and then deposited on the wafer surface. The PVD is also used to
deposit barrier and seed layers, as well as copper films for dual-embedded, interconnects.
 Photolithography
-Photolithography is the process of printing chip circuit patterns on wafers. It is the most critical
step in the manufacture of integrated circuits. It accounts for about 35% of the overall
manufacturing cost in the entire chip manufacturing process. Lithography is also an important
factor that determines the development of integrated circuits following Moore's Law. Without the
advancement of lithography technology, integrated circuits will not be able to move from
micrometers to deep sub microns and then enter the nanometer era.
 Etching
-In the integrated circuit manufacturing process, after mask registration, exposure and
development, the required pattern is copied on the resist film, or the electron beam is directly
drawn to generate the pattern on the resist film. This pattern is then accurately transferred to the
dielectric film (such as silicon oxide, silicon nitride, polysilicon) or metal film under the resist to
produce the desired thin layer pattern. The etching is to use chemical, physical, or both chemical
and physical methods to selectively remove the part of the thin film layer that is not masked by
the resist, so as to obtain a pattern on the thin film that is completely consistent with the resist
film. Plasma etch is the ionization of reactive gas to form a plasma under specific conditions.
The plasma selectively removes substances from the wafer, and the remaining substances form a
chip pattern on the wafer.
 Doping
-In semiconductor production, doping is the intentional introduction of impurities into an
intrinsic semiconductor for the purpose of modulating its electrical, optical and structural
properties. The doped material is referred to as an extrinsic semiconductor.