What is the technology behind manufacturing a semiconductor chip?
- April 9, 2024
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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What is the technology behind manufacturing a semiconductor chip?
Subject: Science and Tech
Section: Awareness in IT
Context:
- The TATA group has partnered with Taiwan’s Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC) to set up a 300mm wafer fabrication plant in Gujarat. It will roll out its first 28nm chip in 2026. Two assembly and test plants in Gujarat and Assam have also been recently approved by the Government of India.
What is a semiconductor chip? How is it manufactured?
- A semiconductor chip is a material with electrical conductivity between that of a conductor and an insulator.
- It acts as a very weak conductor in its pure form, but its conductivity can be significantly enhanced by introducing small amounts of specific substances, known as ‘dopants’.
- Through a process akin to using stencils (referred to as ‘masks’ in the semiconductor industry) and spray paint (analogous to dopants), complex circuits can be crafted
- This method allows for the precise control of the semiconductor’s electrical properties to create intricate and functional electronic circuits.
What does India’s semiconductor ecosystem look like?
- India’s semiconductor ecosystem is notably strong in the chip design sector, a strength dating back to the 1990s.
- With the advancements in computer-aided design (CAD), it’s possible to design semiconductor chips entirely through software, enabling engineers to specify chip functionality, translate this into electronic circuits, validate these circuits, and optimize them for speed, power consumption, and size, all from their computers.
- The finalized chip design is then encapsulated into a file and sent off to a fabrication plant for physical manufacturing, akin to creating and printing a graphic novel digitally.
- With a solid foundation in chip design, supported by a continuous influx of skilled electronics and computer engineers, India is well-positioned to expand into semiconductor manufacturing.
- This expansion into manufacturing offers opportunities for a broader range of professionals—including process and control engineers, data scientists, material scientists, physicists, and chemical engineers—to make significant contributions to the industry, capitalizing on the interdisciplinary nature of semiconductor manufacturing.
Related terminologies | Description |
Transistor |
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Fabrication Technology |
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Wafer |
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Source: TH