commit a54881ab41686b3142c84f0d55b5796fdeae54c6
parent 6eba759128ccb0da4fe35c5afedc2693082e1697
Author: Ville-Matias Heikkila <viznut@low.fi>
Date: Sat, 25 Jun 2022 15:59:25 +0300
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+An **integrrated circuit** (**IC**) or a **microchip** is a set
+of electronic circuits (usually MOSFET transistors) on a small
+flat piece of semiconductor material (silicon). It is currently
+the dominant technological basis for computers.
+
+Types of ICs:
+
+ * [[processor]]
+ * [[memory]]
+ * [[ASIC]] (nearly any complex IC that's not general-purpose can be called "application-specific")
+ * [[logic chip]]s (e.g. the 4000 series and the 7400 series)
+ * [[TTL]]
+ * [[FPGA]]
+ * ...
+
+Making
+======
+
+There are hobbyists who have succesfully produced ICs in
+garage-like conditions. In 2021, Sam Zeloof produced twelve
+1200-transistor chips at home (the first microprocessor had
+2300 transistors), although some second-hand special purpose
+equipment such as a maskless photolithography stepper were
+used.
+
+DIY project information:
+
+ * [Sam Zeloof](http://sam.zeloof.xyz/category/semiconductor/)
+ * [HomeCMOS project](https://github.com/homecmos/homecmos-wiki)
+
+The materials that end up in the finished products don't have
+to be exotic or destructive (e.g. silicon, oxygen and aluminum
+for the bare chip, and plastic/ceramic and some metal for
+encapsulation). However, fabrication processes usually use
+dangerous substances such as hydrogen fluoride (HF) to keep the
+chip clean. Trichloroethylene (TCE) has poisoned groundwater
+supplies several times, including in 1974 when a leak took
+place in the MOS Technology Pennsylvania plant. Finding
+alternatives to these substances may be more urgent than
+developing local and small-scale production.
