STEM Marvels: Integrated Circuits

byAmrita Ganeriwalla

Integrated circuits, also known as chips or microchips, are the main building blocks of most electronics. An integrated circuit is a piece of specially prepared silicon (or any other semiconductor) into which a very complex electronic circuit is etched using photographic techniques. Basically, while building circuits, we use different parts like resistors, transistors, capacitors and LEDs. An integrated circuit packs up to billions of such circuit parts into a single small device that you can hold in your hand.

Makings of an Integrated CircuitIntegrated circuits are made of a complex layering of semiconductor wafers, copper and other materials that connect with each other to form transistors, resistors or other circuit components. A semiconductor material is one that has an electrical conductivity that ran