An integrated circuit (IC) is a circuit which multiple electronic devices are integrated onto a single semiconductor wafer. To understand integrated circuits, it is first necessary to understand basic knowledge such as atomic structure, semiconductor materials, PN structures, transistors.
1. Atomic Structure:
An atom is composed of electrons, protons, and neutrons. Electrons carry a negative charge, protons carry a positive charge and neutrons carry no charge. The atomic nucleus is made up of protons and neutrons, with electrons orbiting the nucleus. The nucleus occupies a very small space, and most of space is occupied by an electron cloud.
2. Semiconductor Materials:
Semiconductors are materials that fall between conductors and insulators, such as (Silicon) and germanium (Germanium). The conductivity of semiconductor materials is intermediate between that of conductors and insulators, and can be changed by doping.
3. PN Structure:
The PN structure is a common structure in semiconductor devices, consisting of P-type semiconductors (rich in positive charge carriers) and Ntype semiconductors (rich in negative charge carriers). The formation of a PN structure can be used to construct diodes, transistors, and other devices.
4 Transistors:
Transistors are the basic components of integrated circuits and come in two types: bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) and field-effect transistors (s). Transistors can achieve functions such as signal amplification and switch control. A BJT consists of three regions: the emitter, the base, and the collector; a FET usually contains a gate, a drain, and a source.
In summary, an integrated circuit is realized by integrating numerous components such as transistors, resistors and capacitors on a semiconductor wafer, thereby achieving complex circuit functions. A deep understanding of integrated circuits involves knowledge from multiple fields such as semiconductor physics, circuit theory, and semiconductor.
