A-Silicon+Chip

Dirsan Shanmugadasan



__ What is a Silicon Chip? __  · An electronic component in the computer consisting of a small crystal · Silicon semiconductor which was made to carry out a number of electronic functions/ calculations in an integrated circuit · Contains millions of transistors, which are devices that control the flow of current, and are filled with tiny electronic circuits

__ Why use silicon? __  · Silicon is one of the most abundant elements on earth · Available in large quantities around the world · Silicon is also a really good element with an extremely high melting point (So it can withstand excess of heat produced during computing processing)

__ Who invented the silicon chip? __  · The silicon chip was invented separately by Jack Kilby in 1958 from Texas Instruments and Robert Noyce from Fairchild Semiconductors in 1961 · Each had their own idea but later worked together to make the silicon chip

__ What is the use it is put to? __

· Used in many electronics like calculators, robots, computer, DVD players, and telephones · Made a vast improvement in the medical field as scientist can calculate extremely complicated equations in less time with better accuracy · Made the equipment lot smaller and portable and made improvements to the use of the X-Ray machine, ultrasound and other medical machinery · silicon chips are cheaper to manufacture and produce and makes it more accessible in rural parts of the world · Improved the equipment for military as they can work more efficiently and cheaper

__ What are the advantages of using the silicon chip? __  · Silicon chips size, can fit and make a lot of electronics smaller and portable. · Silicon chips also consume a small amount of electricity compared to vacuum tubes · They are also a lot easier to manufacture and can run faster than vacuum tubes

__ What are the disadvantages of using silicon chips? __  · heat produced by a silicon chip without proper cooling will start to  and end up not working or melting · As technology advances over time, electronics become a lot smaller and smaller, but silicon chips cannot get any smaller as we are very close to reaching its physical limits

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__ Bibliography __

Chiedozie, A. (2009, October 9). The History of the Silicon Chip. The History of the Silicon Chip. Retrieved October 30, 2010, from http://www.ehow.com/about_5510405_history-silicon-chip.html

Chorlton, W. (2002). Siilicon Chips. The Invention of the Silicon Chip: A Revolution in Daily Life (Point of Impact) (pp. 30-32). Chicago: Heinemann.

McGraw-Hill. (2010, May 18). AccessScience. McGraw-Hill's AccessScience Encyclopedia of Science & Technology Online. Retrieved October 30, 2010, from http://www.accessscience.com/abstract.aspx?id=672800&referURL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.accessscience.com%2fcontent.aspx%3fsearchStr%3dsilicon%2bchip%26id%3d672800

Saxena, A. N. (2009). Introduction. Invention Of Integrated Circuits: Untold Important Facts (International Series on Advances in Solid State Electronics) (International Series on Advances ... State Electronics and Technology (Asset)) (pp. 15-25). Sassari: World Scientific Publishing Company.