Silicon Wafers and Technology - Functionally Strong

1. Silicon Wafers and Technology - Functionally Strong

2. After World War II, scientists had unrestricted access to funds and resources for research. Years later, the computer chip emerged; inspiring a brand new lifestyle revolution and filling our homes with an object we now cannot live without, the personal computer (PC). Throughout the development of the PC, many technologies and materials were used to achieve desirable results. After years of trial and error, silicon was discovered to be a great conductive material for computer components.

3. Silicon itself is a common metalloid, making up 27.7% of the Earth's crust. Nowadays, it has extremely many industrial uses, most effectively being used for integrated circuits (ICs). It is the main component of most semiconductor devices. Its main benefit is that it remains a semiconductor even at very high temperatures, being very beneficial for processors, power supplies and motherboards, where the temperature is generally high.

4. Pure silicon is used in the production of ultra-pure silicon wafers which again, is used in the semiconductor industry, mainly in electronics and photovoltaic applications (such as solar panels). This form of silicon can be mixed with impure elements to adjust its electrical response by effectively manipulating the number of positive or negative current carriers. This manipulation is necessary for transistors, solar cells and semiconductor devices, which are used in general purpose electronics or high-tech applications.

5. A silicon wafer is a thin slice of silicon crystal which is used in the actual fabrication of integrated circuits or similar devices. The wafer itself, serves as a base substance for microelectronics devices built in and over the wafer. It then undergoes many micro fabrication processes to become functional. They come in a variety of sizes, depending on the application of the wafer itself. Previously, the wafers were hand carved into but new technological devices allow computer controlled devices to manipulate these silicon wafers.

6. A typical IC has hundreds or thousands of wafers and layers, which are efficiently placed to get the maximum efficiency from an electronic component. With the contribution of nanotechnology, these wafers and layers have become microscopically tiny, allowing them to take over less physical space. The first computers were as big as a room but nowadays, they fit in the palm of our hands, in the form smartphones or tablet PCs.

7. Getting devices to perform faster and more efficiently currently requires a lot of electricity, a consequence of current material use. This is clearly not advantageous for small devices such as laptops, netbooks and phones, where the energy provided by a battery is much lower than a household plug. To solve such a cause, these cutting edge technological produce have taken shape as representatives of a dominant technology in this day and age.

8. As industrial and information technology keeps improving, we will find it easier to combine many more layers and wafers into much smaller devices, allowing faster processing and greater storage. Battery technology still needs to be improved to keep up with the high demand of energy for these new devices. In the near future, silicon may be replaced with a more efficiently manufactured material, allowing us to create the tiniest devices imaginable.

9. Contact 410 E Santa Clara Street, #518, San Jose, CA 95113 Phone: (408) 622-9129 Email : sales@waferpro.com Fax : 4086229385 www.waferpro.com