Integrated circuits (ICs)
Integrated circuits are several electronic circuits integrated on one single chip.
Their invention in the early 1960s gave birth to the term microelectronics.
Integrated circuits have components and connectors formed on and within a chip.
The chip is a part of the circuit as well as its base and is usually made of silicon.
Silicon is a semiconductor, meaning that it is more conductive than an insulator
and less conductive than a conductor. Sometimes it is necessary to specify exactly
the values or characteristics of the chip. This can be done through doping, which
means treating the chip with impure elements. The treated parts of the chip form
its electronic components. A chip can contain millions of microscopic parts
connected by thin lines of metal. The parts and connections are arranged in
complex patterns in several layers. Finished integrated circuits are plugged into
a printed circuit board.
There are many advantages to the integrated circuit. It works faster than a
regular circuit because it is small and the signals have less distance to travel. It
also needs less power and generates less heat. It is more reliable because it has
fewer connections that can fail. But its small size also makes it more vulnerable
to strong currents and high voltages.
Integrated circuits are used in most types of electrical equipment, including
computers, calculators, television sets, radios, microwave ovens, and some
telephones.