siliciumchip

A siliciumchip, also known as a silicon chip, is a microelectronic device containing one or more integrated circuits fabricated on a thin wafer of crystalline silicon. The active circuitry is formed by arranging transistors and other components on the substrate, enabling the processing and storage of electrical signals. Silicon chips are the core of most modern electronics, from sensors to computers.

Silicon chips are manufactured from high-purity silicon, refined into crystals and sliced into thin wafers. The wafers are doped to create n-type or p-type regions, and a sequence of photolithography, etching, deposition, and metallization builds transistors, capacitors, and interconnects. Most devices use complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology to reduce power consumption. After fabrication, individual dies are separated, tested, and packaged for integration into systems.

Silicon chips come in various architectures, including digital processors, memory, mixed-signal circuits, and sensors. Feature sizes have decreased to nanometer scales in leading products. Techniques such as silicon-on-insulator (SOI) and advanced packaging improve performance, reduce leakage, and enable integration with other materials.

The first integrated circuits were demonstrated independently in the late 1950s by Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce. Silicon-based transistors and CMOS processes propelled the rapid growth of the semiconductor industry and the broad deployment of electronics. Today, siliciumchips underpin computing, communications, automotive systems, medical devices, and a wide range of consumer electronics.