integrated circuit
Tiny electronic brain
An integrated circuit is a tiny chip of semiconductor material containing thousands or millions of miniaturized electronic components—transistors, resistors, capacitors—fabricated as a single unit.
Integrated circuits form the basis of nearly all modern electronics, from smartphones to medical devices.
Often shortened to IC or simply chip.
Thin crystalline disc for microelectronics
- photolithographyLight-transfers patterns onto silicon
- etchingAcid-incised metal print
- dopingProhibited athletic drug use
- fabricationDeliberately untrue statement
CMOS · miniaturization · cleanroom · die · packaging · diffusion · deposition · silicon
Semiconductor signal switch
- capacitorCharge-storing circuit element
- resistorCurrent-limiting circuit element
- diodeOne-way semiconductor
- inductorCoil storing magnetic energy
logic gate · amplifier · oscillator · voltage regulator · multiplexer · rectifier · potentiometer · relay
Compact computing circuit
- microcontrollerIntegrated circuit with processor
- ASICSingle-purpose microchip
- chipsetCoordinated circuit collection
- RAMTemporary data storage hardware
ROM · GPU · DSP · memory chip
Main computing chip
- motherboardComputer's primary circuit platform
- PCBElectronic component substrate
- signal processingMathematical manipulation of waveforms
- data storageRetaining digital information
embedded system · consumer electronics · smartphone · computer · medical devices · telecommunications · aerospace
Chip capacity doubles biennially
- miniaturizationReducing physical scale significantly
- breakthroughSudden important advance
- nanotechnologyAtomic-scale manipulation science
- chip designPlanning integrated circuits
semiconductor industry · Texas Instruments · Fairchild · scaling
silicon wafer
Thin crystalline disc for microelectronics
- photolithographyLight-transfers patterns onto silicon
- etchingAcid-incised metal print
- dopingProhibited athletic drug use
fabrication · CMOS · miniaturization · cleanroom · die · packaging · diffusion · deposition · silicon · wafer
transistor
Semiconductor signal switch
- capacitorCharge-storing circuit element
- resistorCurrent-limiting circuit element
- diodeOne-way semiconductor
inductor · logic gate · amplifier · oscillator · voltage regulator · multiplexer · rectifier · potentiometer · relay · switch
microprocessor
Compact computing circuit
- microcontrollerIntegrated circuit with processor
- ASICSingle-purpose microchip
- chipsetCoordinated circuit collection
RAM · ROM · GPU · DSP · memory chip
CPU
Main computing chip
- motherboardComputer's primary circuit platform
- PCBElectronic component substrate
- signal processingMathematical manipulation of waveforms
data storage · embedded system · consumer electronics · smartphone · computer · medical devices · telecommunications · aerospace
Moore's Law
Chip capacity doubles biennially
- miniaturizationReducing physical scale significantly
- breakthroughSudden important advance
- nanotechnologyAtomic-scale manipulation science
chip design · semiconductor industry · Texas Instruments · Fairchild · scaling
- electronicscomputer, resistors, capacitors, TVs, TV
- inventionsprinting press, steam engine, lightbulb, light bulb, microscope
- midcentury technologytransistor radio, color TV, rotary phone, tape recorder, record player
- 1959 EventsFidel Castro, Cuban Revolution, Barbie doll, Ben-Hur, Kind of Blue
- electronic componentsresistor, capacitor, transistor, diode, inductor
- invention disputes
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