Integrated Circuits: Types and Descriptions

To work any more or less complexelectronics, usually need a lot of parts. When there are a lot of them, they can “unite”, say, in integrated circuits. What are they? How are they classified? How are they made, and what signals do they transmit?

What are logical integrated circuits (ICs)?

In fact, it is a microelectronic device thatbased on a crystal of arbitrary complexity, which is made on a semiconductor film or plate. It is placed in a non-separable case (although it can do without it, but only when it is part of a microassembly). The first integrated circuit was patented in 1968. This was a kind of breakthrough in the industry, although the provided device did not very much correspond to modern concepts in its parameters. The integrated circuits in the mass are manufactured for surface mounting. Often, IP means only a crystal or a film. The most widely used integrated circuit on a silicon wafer. It turned out that its use in industry has a number of advantages, for example, the efficiency of signal transmission.

Design levels

These devices are complex thatperfectly displayed. Now they are created with the help of special CAD systems that automate and significantly speed up production processes. So, during the design process:

1. Logic level (inverters, AND-NOT, OR-NOT and the like).
2. System and circuitry (triggers, encoders, ALUs, comparators, etc. are being worked out) ;.
3. Electrical (capacitors, transistors, resistors and similar devices).
4. Topological level - photomasks for production.
5. Physical - as implemented by a single transistor (or small group) on a chip.
6. Software - create instructions for microcontrollers, microprocessors and FPGAs. A behavioral model is developed using a vertical scheme.

Classification

Speaking about how to distinguish between integrated circuits, it is impossible to choose only one parameter of the type of complexity of the equipment about which we are talking. Therefore, in the framework of the article, as many as three were selected.

Degree of integration

So, the number of elements in a crystal is considered to be fundamental here:

1. Small integrated circuit. Contains less than one hundred items.
2. Average integrated circuit. The number of elements varies in the range of hundred / thousand.
3. Large integrated circuit. Contains from one thousand to 10 000 elements.
4. Ultra-large integrated circuit. They have over ten thousand items.

As a rule, a large integrated circuit is often used for home appliances. Previously used other categories:

1. Ultra-large integrated circuit. It included those samples that could boast a number of elements in the range from 1 million to 1 billion.
2. Gigabyte integrated circuit. These included samples, the number of elements of which exceeded 1 billion elements.

But at the moment they do not apply.And all the samples that were previously attributed to UBIS and GBIS are now passing as VLSI. In general, this has significantly saved on the number of groups, since the latter two types are usually used specifically in large research centers where computer systems operate, whose power is measured in tens and hundreds of terabytes.

Manufacturing technology

Due to the various production possibilities, integrated circuits are also classified according to how they are made and from what:

1. Semiconductor.In them, all elements and compounds are made on the same semiconductor chip. Semiconductor integrated circuits use materials such as silicon, germanium, gallium arsenide, and hafnium oxide.

2. Film. All elements and connections are made as films:

- Thick film.

- Thin film.

3. Hybrid.Has unpackaged diodes, transistors or other electronic active components. Passive (such as resistors, inductors, capacitors) are placed on a common ceramic substrate. All of them fit in one sealed enclosure.

4. Mixed. There is not only a semiconductor crystal, but also thin-film (or thick-film) passive elements that are placed on its surface.

Type of signal being processed

And the third, the most recent form, is based on what signals the integrated circuit processes. They are:

1. Analog. Here, the input and output signals vary according to the law of a continuous function. They can take values ​​in the range from negative to positive supply voltage.
2. Цифровые.Here, any input or output signal can have two values: logical one or zero. Each of them has its own predetermined voltage level. So, TTL-type microcircuits range 0-0.4V to zero, and 2.4-5V to one. There may be other divisions, it all depends on the specific sample.
3. Analog-digital. Combine the advantages and features of the previous samples. For example, they can be signal amplifiers and analog-to-digital converters.

Legal features

What is said about integrated circuits inlegislation? In our country, provided legal protection of topologies of integrated circuits. By it they mean the geometrically-spatial arrangement of a certain set of concrete elements and connections between them fixed on a certain material carrier (according to article 1448 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation). The author of the topology has the following intellectual rights to his invention:

1. Author's.
2. Exclusive right.

In addition, the author of the topology may belong toother preferences, including the possibility of obtaining remuneration for its use. The exclusive right is valid for ten years. During this time, the inventor, or the person to whom this status was assigned, can register the topology with the relevant service of intellectual property and patents.

Conclusion

That's all!If you have a desire to assemble your scheme - you can only wish for success. But at the same time I want to draw your attention to one feature. If there is a desire to assemble a microcircuit, then it is necessary to thoroughly prepare for this process. The fact is that to create it requires exceptional cleanliness at the level of the surgical operating room, moreover, because of the smallness of the details, it’s impossible to work with a soldering iron in the usual mode - all actions are carried out by machines. Therefore, at home you can only create schemes. If you wish, you can purchase industrial designs that will be offered on the market, but the idea of ​​making them at home without significant finance is better to leave.