Integrated circuit (IC) terminology

There are some of the common terms (integrated circuit (IC) terminology) are defined below,

• Metallization – It providing ohmic contacts and inter-connections by evaporating aluminum over the chip.
• Photo resist –When exposed to ultraviolet light, a photo sensitive emulsion which is sets.
• Diffusion mask – It is a glass plate with the circuit pattern drawn on it. The impurities can be diffused through its light areas but not through its dark ones.
• Encapsulation – The encapsulation is putting a cap over the IC and sealing it in an inert atmosphere.
• Etching – It is the process of removal of surface material from a chip by chemical means.
• Scribing – It is the process of incising or cutting with a sharp point.
• Wafer–A thin slice of a semiconductor material either circular or rectangular in shape in which a number of ICs are fabricated simultaneously.
• Bonding – The attachment of wires to an IC.
• Chip – It is an extremely small part of silicon on wafer on which IC is fabricated. One Si wafer of 2 cm diameter may contain up to 1000 IC chips.
• Circuit probing – To check the proper electrical performance of each IC with the help of probes.
• Die – The definition of die is same as chip.
• Diffusion – Introduction of controlled small quantities of a material into the crystal structure for modifying its electrical characteristics.
• Epitaxy – The epitaxy is a physical placement of materials on a given surface.