Integrated circuits terminology

Integrated circuits terminology

Some of the common terms (IC terminology) are defined below:

1. Bonding – attachment of wires to an IC.
2. Chip – an extremely small part of a silicon on wafer on which IC is fabricated. One Si wafer of 2 cm diameter may contain upto 1000 IC chips
3. Circuit probing – to check the proper electrical performance of each IC with the help of probes.
4. Die – Same as Chip
5. Diffusion – introduction of controlled small quantities of a material into the crystal structure for modifying its electrical characteristics.
6. Diffusion mask – it is a glass plate with the circuit pattern drawn on it . Impurities can diffuse through its light areas but not through its dark ones.
7. Encapsulation – putting a cap over the IC and sealing it in an inert atmosphere.
8. Epitaxy – physical placement of materials on a given surface.
9. Etching – removal of surface material from a chip by chemical means.
10. Metallization – providing ohmic contacts and inter-connections by evaporating aluminium over the chip.
11. Photoresist – a photo-sensitive emulsion which hardens when exposed to ultraviolet light.
12. Scribing – incising or cutting with a sharp point.
13. Wafer–a thin slice of a semiconductor material either circular or rectangular in shape in which a number of ICs are fabricated simultaneously.