Overview:
Semiconductor chip is one of the key elements in the manufacturing of electronic, digital, and other products and devices. It is used in almost every industry, sector, and company. But have you ever wondered how semiconductor chips are made? How are wafers made? Before the finished semiconductor chip is produced, it goes through multiple processes. Leading semiconductor companies such as Intel, Samsung, Qualcomm have developed modern and advanced processes and technology for producing Chips. Here we have discussed the process of how Intel Develops its Chips.
How Intel Chips are made:
Intel creates industry-leading and world-first silicon products. These Intel chips are some of the most complex devices ever manufactured, requiring advanced manufacturing technology. Intel chips power Ultrabook devices, smartphones, tablets, high performance computing, data centres, and the Internet. The making of Intel Chip is made after it goes various vigorous processes. Following are the steps through which Intel develop chips are made:
1. Silicon Acquisition: It is a semiconductor material; hence it is used as the key component for making of silicon chips.
2. Wafers: Post acquisition of silicon material, silicon wafers are developed, these wafers are made by purifying, melting, and slicing of silicon into discs called wafers.
3. Cleanrooms: These chips are made into a controlled environment known as cleanrooms. These cleanrooms are accessed by those personnel only who are acquainted with the job of manufacturing wafers and chips. Cleanroom suits or Bunny suits are mandatory to wear in these cleanrooms.
4. Design: Once the wafers are made, these wafers are designed accordingly with other components in order to get the best structure possible. Design specifications that include chip size, number of transistors, testing, and production factors are used to create schematics (symbolic representations) of the transistors and interconnections that control the flow of electricity though a chip.
5. Fabrication and Test: Chip making is a complex process, which involves hundreds of steps from acquiring silica sand to making finished semiconductor chip. A photolithographic "printing" process is used to form a chip’s multi-layered transistors and interconnects (electrical circuits) on a wafer. Once the fabrication is completed the chip is tested on various parameters. Front-end, back end testing methods are used to detect any flaw in the design of the chip.
6. High Performance Packaging: Once the chip is developed it is packed into a high-performance packaging, which safeguards its integrity. The package protects the chip and delivers critical power and electrical connections when placed directly into a computer circuit board or mobile device, such as a smartphone or tablet.
SUMMARY:
The making of chip is a complex process, but Intel has been an expert in that field. For more than 50 years, Intel has been developing cutting edge chips, which has brought innovation in technology and helped in recent advancements in our world.
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