Integrated Circuits

As the 1950s drew to a close, electronic devices constructed using individual transistors and other discrete components were reaching the limits of technological capabilities.

Circuits had become so complex that size, heat dissipation, and even wiring the pieces together were significant challenges.

In 1959, scientists developed a solution: the integrated circuit.

This device replaced many discrete components with a single miniature "chip."

On the chip were tiny transistors and all the interconnections necessary.

Integrated circuits offered several advantages:

• They were smaller and lighter than discrete devices.
• They were more reliable because there were fewer connections to fail.
• They were cheaper to manufacture.
• They consumed less power.

Integrated circuits became the foundation of the modern electronics industry.

They enabled the development of the microprocessor, the "brain" of a computer.

Today, integrated circuits are found in almost every electronic device.

Integrated circuits are also known as microchips or chips.

How Integrated Circuits Are Made:

• Integrated circuits are made by "printing" the circuit pattern on a silicon wafer.
• Each wafer contains hundreds of chips.
• After the chips are printed, the wafer is cut into individual chips.
• Each chip is then tested to ensure that it works properly.
• Defective chips are discarded.
• Good chips are packaged in plastic or ceramic cases.
• The case protects the chip and provides electrical connections to the outside world.