IC Technology

Integrated Circuits (ICs)

An IC is a collection of electronic components --

resistors, transistors, capacitors, etc. -- all stuffed into
a tiny chip, and connected together to achieve a
common goal.
They come in all sorts of flavors: single-circuit logic
gates, op amps, 555 timers, voltage regulators, motor
controllers, microcontrollers, microprocessors, FPGAs,
etc.
Integrated Circuits (ICs) are also known as microchips or microelectronic circuit, it is a
semiconductor wafer that holds thousands and millions of resistors, capacitors, and transistors. It is
basically an assembly of electronic components that’s fabricated as a single unit.
Integrated Circuits (ICs)
Inside
Integrated
Circuits (ICs)

Ref: Hitachi-hightech
Inside
Integrated
Circuits (ICs)

The image above then shows how an IC chip looks like under an X-ray through 3D
rendering, it features complex structures with multiple layers that forms an IC
chip. Ref: Physics world
Integrated Circuits (ICs)
Figure 1. In 1962, four women programmers hold parts of
the first four Army computers. From left is the ENIAC
board, EDVAC board, ORDVAC board, and the BRLESC-I
board. Image courtesy of the US Army.
Scale of Integrated Circuits (ICs)
Scale of Integrated Circuits (ICs)

SSI MSI LSI VLSI ULSI

Figure 1: Analog Signal

Figure 2: Analog Circuit

Figure 1: Digital Signal

Figure 2: Digital Circuit

 A FinFET is a type of field-effect transistor
(FET) that has a thin vertical fin instead of
being completely planar. The gate is fully
“wrapped” around the channel on three
sides formed between the source and the
drain. The greater surface area created
between the gate and channel provides
better control of the electric state and
reduces leakage compared to planar FETs.
Using FinFETs, results in much better
electrostatic control of the channel and thus
better electrical characteristics than planar
FETs.

Fig. l. A structure of monolithic 3D IC based on FinFET technology.

https://www.synopsys.com/glossary/what-is-a-finfet.html
Integrated Circuits Fabrication Techniques
The starting material for integrated circuits fabrication is Single crystal silicon wafer.

1. Layering
The layering step serves
to add thin layers to the surface
of the wafer. These layers may be
of a different material,
microstructure and composition
of the same material such as
polycrystalline silicon and silicon
oxide.

Back End Of Line (BEOL)

Integrated Circuits Fabrication Techniques
The starting material for integrated circuits fabrication is Single crystal silicon wafer.

2. Patterning
The most important step
in wafer fabrication is patterning
or lithography. The deposition,
doping, etching, and patterning
refer to a series of steps to
selectively mask or expose
portions of the surface. It sets the
device’s critical dimensions on
the wafers.
Polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETg)
Indium tin oxide (ITO)
Polymerized polydimethyl-siloxane (PDMS)
Integrated Circuits Fabrication Techniques
The starting material for integrated circuits fabrication is Single crystal silicon wafer.

3. Doping
It is refers to the process
of incorporating specific amounts
of electrically active impurities
through openings on the surface
of the wafers. The doped
materials are typically impurities
of the type p or n and are
necessary to form devices such
as diodes , transistors, conductors
and IC devices.
Integrated Circuits Fabrication Techniques
The starting material for integrated circuits fabrication is Single crystal silicon wafer.

4. Heat treatment, also called

Furnace annealing
It is a process used in the
manufacture of semiconductor devices which
consists of heating multiple wafers of
semiconductors to affect their electrical
properties. The heat treatments are designed
for various effects. Wafers can be heated to
enable dopants (doped material like
phosphorus), transfer film to film or film to
wafer substratum interfaces, densify
deposited films, adjust grown film conditions,
repair implant damage, shift dopants or drive
dopants from one film to another or from a
film to wafer substratum as shown in figure
A.
Integrated Circuits Fabrication Techniques
The starting material for integrated circuits fabrication is Single crystal silicon wafer.

4. Heat treatment, also called

Furnace annealing
It is a process used in the
manufacture of semiconductor devices which
consists of heating multiple wafers of
semiconductors to affect their electrical
properties. The heat treatments are designed
for various effects. Wafers can be heated to
enable dopants (doped material like
phosphorus), transfer film to film or film to
wafer substratum interfaces, densify
deposited films, adjust grown film conditions,
repair implant damage, shift dopants or drive
dopants from one film to another or from a
film to wafer substratum as shown in figure
A.
https://youtu.be/_VMYPLXnd7E
Quantum Computer
Quantum computer

Intel Corporation’s 49-qubit

quantum computing test chip,
code-named “Tangle Lake,” is
unveiled at 2018 CES in Las
Vegas. (Credit: Walden Kirsch/Intel
Corporation)

U.S. President Joe Biden stands next to a quantum computer

Quantum computer
“Quantum computing takes advantage of the
strange ability of subatomic particles to exist in
more than one state at any time. Due to the way
the tiniest of particles behave, operations can be
done much more quickly and use less energy than
classical computers” — BEALL, A (2018)
Quantum computer