A layman\'s overview of silicon technology, semiconductor manufacturing, and computer architecture.

1. Silicon Technology Overview for Non-Engineers Bill Gascoyne

5. Gates Unfortunately, the word “gate” is used to mean several different things. Logic “gate” 4 transistors (1 million gates) “ Gate” terminal on a transistor (45n gate) D Q G “ Gate” on a latch (Engineers only)

6. “Analog” vs. “Digital” Analog is continuous & interpolated, “real world”; Subject to interpretation, interference. Digital is numeric & discreet, information only; Hard & fast, on or off, works or doesn’t work. Phonograph is analog; the groove is shaped like the sound. CD is digital; numbers represent the sound.

7. More Analog vs. Digital Analog (Bipolar) transistor acts like a valve; allows so many electrons to flow at a time. Digital (CMOS) transistor is all the way off or on, more like a switch. “ ON” or “OFF” is less information than “How many electrons”, so digital needs more transistors for the same amount of data, but each transistor can be less precise and smaller. Analog (“Linear Region”) Digital (If smoothly turning the faucet one way made the flow increase and decrease in fits and starts, control would be non-linear.)

9. Electricity Current flows this way Electrons flow this way Electricity is labeled “backwards,” sort of…. Electrons are like the tiles, current is like the empty space. Which actually moves?

12. Dopants Electron shell’s “magic stability #” is 8. Tetrahedron shape “feels like” “sharing” 1 ea. w/ 4 neighbors, “feels” stable. (Everyone’s content, no work gets done) N N N + N + N + N + + N N N + N + N + N + + Silicon N N N + N + N + N + + Boron (Positive dopant) N N N + N + N + N + + N N N + N + N + N + + Phosphorus (Negative dopant)

17. P Channel vs. N Channel n+ n+ p+ p+ P- well N- well N channel symbol P channel symbol n+ = heavily doped negative (P, As) N- = lightly doped negative p+ = heavily doped positive (B) P- = lightly doped positive Wafer Source Gate Drain Oxide

20. AND vs. OR A and B and C A or B or C A Z C B C A B Z A Z B C C A B Z A B C A B C

21. Chips

22. An Illustration of Chip Scale Imagine that a wire on the chip is the size of a road. And roads are shoulder- to-shoulder for 7 levels. Then a transistor is the size of a car, and the chip covers most of Western Europe…

26. Die per Wafer *Source: SEMI Max. Die size Max. Die/Wafer* 12” (300mm ) 8” (200mm ) 6” (150mm ) 5” (125mm ) 4” (100mm ) 1cm 24 2cm 57 2cm 148 2cm 1.5cm

28. Photolithography: What’s in a Word? Writing in Stone with Light Photo litho graphy

29. Each Layer is Drawn on a Mask Ultraviolet Light Source 4:1 reduction lens The wafer is coated with a light-sensitive resin called photoresist . It is moved by a machine called a stepper . The glass mask (actually called a reticle ) is four times the size of the die.

30. Photolithography, Etch, Dope, Sputter Wafer (on edge) Mask Photo- resist Etch Dope Sputter

32. Chip Packages PQFP TQFP PGA BGA Flip Chip DIP

33. Where’s the chip in the package? Die Cavity Bond Fingers PGA w/ lid removed

34. Printed Circuit Boards Surface-Mount Through-Hole

35. Software EDA Tools

39. Logical Design Tools (Synthesis)

41. Simulation & Analysis Tools

43. Physical Design Tools

47. Thank you!