What is a semiconductor? What is a chip?

semiconductor refers to a material whose conductive properties are between an insulator and a conductor at room temperature. anti vibration table People usually refer to materials with poor electrical conductivity, such as coal, artificial crystals, amber, ceramics, and so on, as insulators. The relatively good electrical conductivity of metals such as gold, silver, copper, iron, tin, aluminum and so on called conductors. Compared with conductors and insulators, the discovery of semiconductor materials is the latest, until the 1930s, when the purification technology of materials improved, semiconductors did not receive attention from the industry. Common semiconductor materials are silicon, germanium, gallium arsenide, etc., and silicon is one of the most influential semiconductor materials in commercial applications in China.

Chips, also known as microchips, are integrated circuits (ics). semiconductor test A small piece of silicon containing an integrated circuit.

In general, a chip (IC) refers to all semiconductor components, which are circuit modules that integrate multiple electronic components on a silicon plate to achieve a specific function. It is the most important part of the electronic device, carrying out the function of calculation and storage. Widely used in military, civilian and almost all electronic equipment.

The whole process of wafer manufacturing includes wafer design, wafer manufacturing, package manufacturing and testing, of which the wafer manufacturing process is the most complex. In wafer manufacturing, the most important thing is the wafer. voltage probe Wafers are silicon wafers used to make silicon semiconductor integrated circuits. Because of its round shape, it is called a wafer. Wafers can be processed into various circuit component structures and become integrated circuit products with specific functions. Silicon is the raw material of wafers, and the Earth's crust has an endless supply of silica. Silica ore is smelted in electric arc furnace, extracted in medium, chlorinated with hydrochloric acid, and then distilled into high purity polycrystalline silicon with a purity of 99.99999999%.

The basis of the integrated circuit is the transistor, with the transistor it is possible to manufacture integrated circuits, and transistors are based on semiconductors, so semiconductors are also the basis of integrated circuits. Semiconductors are to integrated circuits what land is to buildings. To build a building, you need a good foundation. Similarly, to make integrated circuits, you also need the right base material, which is the semiconductor material. Common semiconductor materials are silicon, germanium, gallium arsenide (compounds), of which silicon is the most widely used and commercialized is the most successful.

Why was Silicon chosen to make integrated circuits? For one thing, silicon is the most abundant element in the Earth's crust, second only to oxygen. The presence of rocks and gravel in nature requires a large amount of silicate or silicon dioxide, and the material is relatively easy to obtain. Second, the dopable properties of silicon are relatively easy to control, and it is easy to manufacture a transistor that meets the design requirements. Third, the silicon dioxide formed by the oxidation of silicon is stable, can be used as an excellent insulating film required in semiconductor devices, and has more advantages in device design. Finally, the most critical point is the planar process of integrated circuits, silicon is easier to implement oxidation, lithography, diffusion and other processes, more convenient system integration, and its performance is easier to control.