Integrated Circuits

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How Does an Integrated Circuit Work

Integrated circuits are in almost every appliance known to man at this point in history from wristwatches to televisions and from coffee makers to, the most obvious, computers. An integrated circuit is a collection of diodes, transistors and microprocessors in miniature scale all operating on a single piece of semiconductor, typically silicon. Each performs a specific function that, when combined with the other components, can perform multiple tasks and calculations. First are the diodes; diodes by definition are electronic or electrical devices that regulate the flow or current of electricity within the circuit. Diodes control how much, when and how often electrons or electricity is allowed to flow into other parts of the system.We have all heard of transistor radios from the early 20th century and the transistors in integrated circuits, or ICs, are them same, at least by definition. Transistors can store voltage to stabilize the circuit or for amplifying a signal.

Demerits or Disadvantages of Integrated Circuits

The integrated circuits have few limitations also, as listed below : 1. In an IC the various components are part of a small semi-conductor chip and the individual component or components cannot be removed or replaced, therefore, if any component in an IC fails, the whole IC has to be replaced by the new one. 2. Limited power rating as it is not possible to manufacture high power (say greater than 10 Watt) ICs. 3. Need of connecting inductors and transformers exterior to the semi-conductor chip as it is not possible to fabricate inductors and transformers on the semi-conductor chip surface. 4. Operations at low voltage as ICs function at fairly low voltage. 5. Quite delicate in handling as these cannot withstand rough handling or excessive heat. 6. Need of connecting capacitor exterior to the semi-conductor chip as it is neither convenient nor economical to fabricate capacitances exceeding 30 pF. Therefore, for higher values of capacitance, discrete component

Merits or Advantages of Integrated Circuits

The integrated circuits offer a number of advantages over those made by interconnecting discrete components. These are summarized as follows Extremely small size—thousands times smaller than discrete circuit. It is because of fabrication of various circuit elements in a single chip of semi-conductor material Very small weight owing to miniaturized circuit Very low cost because of simultaneous production of hundreds of similar circuits on a small semiconductor wafer. Owing to mass production an IC costs as much as an individual transistor More reliable because of elimination of soldered joints and need for fewer inter-connections Low power consumption because of their smaller size Easy replacement as it is more economical to replace them than to repair them Increased operating speeds because of absence of parasitic capacitance effect Close matching of components and temperature coefficients because of bulk produc¬tion in batches Improved functiona

Integrated circuits

Integrated Circuits play a very important part in electronics. Most are specially made for a specific task and contain up to thousands of transistors, diodes and resistors. Special purposes IC's such as audio-amplifiers, FM radios, logic blocks, regulators and even a whole micro computers in the form of a micro controller can be fitted inside a tiny package. Some of the simple Integrated Circuits Depending on the way they are manufactured, integrated circuits can be divided into two groups: hybrid and monolithic. Hybrid circuits have been around longer. If a transistor is opened, the crystal inside is very small. This means a transistor doesn't take up very much space and many of them can be fitted into a single Integrated Circuit The pin-out for some of the common packages is shown Most integrated Circuits are in a DIL package - Dual In Line, meaning there are two rows of pins. (DIL16 and DIL8 are sh