Microchip Manufacturing Process

Overview

Microchips take up to 26 weeks to produce.
They consist of up to 100 layers with billions of transistors packed into a space the size of a fingernail.
Microchips are crucial components in our electronic devices.

Importance of Silicon:
- A semiconductor, balancing between insulator and conductor.
- Conductivity can be altered through doping.
- Abundant and one of the ten most common elements on Earth.
Silicon Extraction Process:
- Silicon found in sand (chemically bound to oxygen).
- Mixed with carbon and melted to produce 99% pure silicon.
- Further processing yields ultra-pure silicon.

Seed Crystal Process:
- A seed crystal is placed in molten silicon.
- Slowly pulling the seed crystal forms a large cylindrical boule (single crystal ingot).
Wafer Production:
- Boules are sliced into wafers (1 to 12 inches in diameter, up to 18 inches in advanced facilities).
- Larger wafers yield more microchips.

Deposition:
- A thin layer of silicon dioxide is deposited on the wafer.
Lithography Preparation:
- Wafer coated with photosensitive materials.
Exposure:
- Wafer exposed to UV light through a reticle containing the chip's blueprint.
- Exposed areas harden; unexposed areas are etched away.
Doping:
- Altering electrical conductivity of chip components.
Metal Layering:
- Thin layer of metal (e.g., aluminum) is overlaid for conducting paths.
- Etching removes excess metal, leaving conductors.
Testing:
- Each chip is tested for performance before separation.

Basic Components:
- Capacitors: Temporarily store electrical charge.
- Resistors: Control electrical current.
- Transistors: Amplify or switch electrical signals.
High-end chips may contain 28 billion transistors.

Predicts transistor counts will double every two years.
The prediction holds true with advancements in chip manufacturing.
Recent innovations have reduced transistor size to 8 x 10^-8 inches in diameter, enabling 50 billion transistors on a single chip.