IC Guide 2022: Types, Uses and Applications

Pilot Chapter

This is the complete guide to ICs in 2022.

In this in-depth guide, you will learn.

• What is an IC?
• The history of integrated circuits
• The basic types of integrated circuits
• Types of IC packages
• The benefits of integrated circuits
• Disadvantages of Integrated Circuits
• Applications and Uses of Integrated Circuits

And much more
So if you’re ready to go “all in on ICs,” then this guide is for you.

Let’s dive in.

Integrated Circuit Invention Background

Over the years, we have observed that integrated circuits have evolved and managed to compress themselves into a more compact and concise structure. Let’s take an example of a major computer manufactured to be the size of the warehouse of 1000 laptops we use today. Think about how this was achieved? The answer is integrated circuits.

Previously manufactured circuits were very large and bulky, consisting of circuit components such as resistors, transistors, diodes, capacitors, inductors, etc., which were connected together with copper wires. This factor limited the use of circuits in large machines. It is not possible to manufacture small compact appliances with these large circuits. In addition, they are not completely shockproof and reliable.

As mentioned earlier, necessity is the mother of all inventions, and again, the latest technology is the result of it. Circuits with smaller dimensions, higher power and greater security need to be developed in order to integrate them into devices. There were three American scientists who invented the transistor, which simplified things to a considerable extent, but it was the development of the integrated circuit that changed the face of electronics.

What is Integrated Circuit? 

An integrated circuit (IC), which can sometimes be called a chip or microchip, is a series of transistors placed on silicon. The size of an integrated circuit is so small that it is about the size of a fingernail when compared to a standard circuit made up of separate circuit elements.An IC is a semiconductor wafer (also known as a thin sheet of semiconductor, such as crystalline silicon) on which thousands or millions of tiny resistors, capacitors, and transistors are fabricated.

Modern electronic circuits are not made up of individual circuits, which means they cannot be made up of separate components as they once were. Instead, many small circuits are embedded in a single complex wafer of silicon and other materials called an integrated circuit (IC), chip or microchip. The fabrication of an integrated circuit begins with a simple circular silicon wafer a few inches in diameter.

First, designers map the exact location of each component in each part of the circuit so that handling becomes easy. Then photos of each diagram are repeatedly reduced in size to provide small photolithographic masks.

The silicon wafers are coated with a material called photoresist, which undergoes a chemical process when exposed to ultraviolet light. The UV light shown through the mask on the photoresist produces an equivalent pattern on the wafer similar to that of the mask. The solvent is then etched into the resist portion exposed to light, leaving the rest intact. Another layer of silicon material doped with some impurities is then used so that it is laid on top of the wafer and another pattern is etched by a similar technique.

The result of these operations is a multilayer circuit that produces millions of tiny transistors, resistors and conductors within the wafer. The wafer is then broken up into many identical square or rectangular chips along pre-stressed lines, which are the ends of the integrated circuit.

History of Integrated Circuits

The invention of the IC (integrated circuit) started first with the vacuum tube, the first one was invented by John Ambrose, Fleming was called vacuum diode in 1897, Fleming also gave the left hand rule for the motor.

Then in 1906, a new vacuum, called the triode, was developed for amplification.

Nearly 40 years later, William Shockley of Bell Labs invented the transistor in 1947, ushering in an alternative era in the electronics industry. Transistors partially replaced those bulky vacuum tubes because of their small size, the use of less power to operate, and the fact that applied appliances required less power.

Then in 1959 ICs (integrated circuits) were developed. ICs, during this period, could be manufactured on a silicon wafer with many components. ICs needed low power consumption to work and provide smooth output. As time passes, the number of transistors on the IC increases with time.

Evolution of ICs from SSI, MSI, Life Cycle Assessment to Exascale ICs

The classification of integrated circuits can be done according to the size of the chip and the scale of integration.

• First, in a small-scale integration from 1961 to 1965, SSI transistors were fabricated on a single chip in quantities of about 10 to 100. This technology was used to create logic gates and flip-flops.
• Then in the medium-scale integration from 1966 to 1970, MSI transistors were manufactured in quantities of about 100 to 1000 on a single chip. This technology was used to create counters, multiplexers, and decoders.
• In 1971-1979, large-scale integration LSItransistor was manufactured on a single chip with about 1000 to 20,000 pieces. The technology was used to create microprocessors, memory, and ROMs.
• In the 1980-1984 period of large-scale integration, VLSItransistors were manufactured in quantities of about 20,000 to 50,000 on a single chip. This technology was used to create DSP (Digital Signal Processing) ICs, RISC microprocessors, 16-bit and 32-bit microprocessors.
• In 1985, Ultra Large Scale Integration ULSI was introduced, where transistors were manufactured on a single chip in quantities of about 50,000 to billions. This technology was used to create 64-bit microprocessors.

Limitations of different types of integrated circuits

Limitations of different types of ICs include:

• (Limited power rating because it is not possible to manufacture high power greater than 10 watts) I.
• In an IC, the various components are part of the semiconductor, which is small so that individual components or other components cannot be removed and replaced, so that if any component in the IC fails, the entire IC has been replaced with a new component.
• Inductors and transformers need to be connected to the outside of the conductor chip because it may not be possible to manufacture the inductors and convert them on the surface of the semiconductor chip.
• It operates at low voltage, which means that the IC operates at a fairly low voltage.
• It is very delicate, i.e. finely handling functions, as they cannot withstand rough handling or overheating.
• It is also necessary to connect the capacitors externally to the semiconductor chip, as it is neither convenient nor economical to manufacture capacitors over 30pF. For higher capacitance values, connect discrete components and IC chips externally.
• Advanced P-N-P assemblies are not possible.
• Low temperature coefficient is difficult to achieve.
• Difficult to manufacture ICs with low noise.
• High saturation resistance value of transistors.
• Voltage dependence of resistors and capacitors.
• The processes used in the manufacturing process (such as diffusion and other related procedures) are not sufficient to provide some control over the parameter values of the circuit components. However, the control of the process ratios is at a sufficiently acceptable level.

7 basic types of integrated circuits

Digital Integrated Circuits

It has a subtype that includes programmable ICs, memory chips such as logic ICs, power management ICs and interface ICs whose function is to operate at a small number of specified signal amplitude levels. They use logic gates to change circuit activity and can be introduced in a “yes/no” or “on/off” manner. Digital ICs use old computer standby binary data, where only “0” (low or no logic) and “1” (high or full logic) are allowed as values.

Analog Integrated Circuits

Analog or linear ICs typically use only a few components and are therefore the only type of IC. Usually, analog circuits are connected to devices that receive signals from the environment or send them back to the environment. Let’s take the example of a microphone, which converts fluctuating human voices into electrical signals of different voltages. These circuits then modify the signal in some useful way, for example by amplifying it or filtering out undesirable noise.

Hybrid analog-to-digital integrated circuits

This includes both types of ICs. Thus, systems that convert analog data to digital data or the other way around, you will now find these hybrid ICs. the whole concept of hybrid ICs is to integrate digital and analog components on the same chip is a newer technology than IC technology itself. Examples of hybrid ICs include clocks and other timing devices. In addition, ICs are often categorized outside of the digital-analog distinction.

Logic Gate ICs

A logic gate integrated circuit is a combination circuit that provides logic outputs based on different input signals. It can have two to three inputs, but only one output. Common examples are the transistor-transistor logic (TTL) 7400 series ICs and the 4000 series CMOS ICs. IC 7408 is a quad 2-input and gate, TTL integrated circuit in a plastic double in-line package.

Switching ICs

We can guess their function, as the name implies – as part of the switch, or in the words of the circuit, in the “switch operation”. In an electrical switch, the interruption of current or the introduction of a previously non-existent current can trigger the switch, which in itself is not a big change under the given conditions and can take two or more forms. For example, certain electric fans or other devices have low, medium and high settings. Thus, the switch can be involved in one or more circuits.

Timer IC

A timer IC is a monolithic IC that generates a precise time period with a duty cycle of 100% or 50%, tracking the elapsed time. The main timer IC was developed by Sigonidic in 1970. A widely used timer IC today is the 555 timer IC, which is available in 8-pin or 14-pin configurations. It can be used as a pulse generator and oscillator. A common example of it is the digital stopwatch.

Amplifier ICs

There are two types of amplifier ICs: audio and operational. Operational amplifiers are high-voltage amplifiers with various inputs differential, but only one terminal output. The amplifier consists of an inverting input and a non-inverting input. Audio amplifier ICs are what make music on the market louder or softer, or you can increase or decrease the volume of a device that contains any type of sound, such as a TV, smartphone or PC.

Types of IC packages

IC packages indicate the size and shape of an integrated circuit or chip or microchip. Here, we will examine the various IC package types and where they are useful.IC packages are divided into two types based on the package mounted on the board.

Through-hole mounting package

These packages are designed in such a way that the lead pins snap to one side of the board and are shade fired on the other side. They are larger compared to other types of packages. These are mainly used in electronic devices to catch up with board space and price constraints. One of the most popular examples is the two-row inline package.

Double In-Line Package (DIP)

The most common IC package is the double in-line package (DIP). Similar to the 28-pin ATmega328, the pins are placed parallel to each other so that they extend vertically and are arranged on a rectangular black plastic housing. The pin spacing is 0.1 inches. There are many types of DIPs available in double inline packages.

Plastic two-row inline package

The plastic double inline package (PDIP) is one of the most mature plastic IC packages still in use. It is rectangular in shape and has leads extending along its length from each side, thus creating two sets of inline pins.PDIP is available in two body widths, 300 mils and 600 mils.

Surface Mount Package

It follows the process of mounting or placing components directly on the surface of the board. While this manufacturing process helps to do things quickly, it also increases the likelihood of defects. This is usually due to the miniaturization of the components and also because they are mounted very close to each other. Surface mount packaging is molded in ceramic or plastic.

Zigzag in the Online Package (ZIP)

The pins in this package are perpendicular to the board. These pins are aligned vertically within the package and closer to each other. This type of package has a very short lifetime and is mainly used for dynamic RAM chips.

Epoxy Nucleic Acid Impregnation

Ceramic double inline package with 2.54mm lead pitch and molded body made of ceramic material.

Molded dual in-line package

It is further divided into standard packaging, thin packaging and shrink packaging.

Small form factor L-lead package

In this package, the pins are connected in an L-shape from both sides of the body, and the materials used are plastic and ceramic. In addition to being used for memory LSIs, SOPs are widely used in less large circuits. The pin pitch is approximately 1.27mm.

Quad flat L-pin package (QFP)

In quad flat L-lead packages (QFPs), the leads are led in an L-shape from all four sides, and the materials used are ceramics, metals and plastics, with plastic packages making up the majority. They come with heat sinks and built-in heat sinks.

Ball Grid Array

In this package, spherical bumps are formed on the back surface of the printed substrate to switch the leads and the LSI chip is also mounted on the PCB from the front surface and finally sealed by molding resin or potting method, and the number of pins can exceed 200.

Fine pitch terrestrial grid array

These types of packages have an array of pads on the back side of the printed circuit board.

Advantages of integrated circuits

• The size is extremely small. This is because the IC is used to integrate active and passive components onto a silicon chip during the manufacturing process, so the IC becomes much smaller than its actual size. When it is compared to discrete circuits, it may be considered a thousand times smaller.
• Has a very low weight. Due to the small size, the weight is also reduced due to the miniaturization of the circuit.
• Because many similar circuits are produced simultaneously on small semiconductor wafers, production costs will be very low and less time-consuming.
• More reliable – this is because solder joints are eliminated and fewer interconnects are required.
• Lower power consumption due to smaller size.
• Easier to replace, as it is more economical to replace or replace them than to repair them.
• Impact operation speed is increased due to the absence of parasitic capacitance.
• Close matching of components and temperature coefficients due to mass production.
• Integrated circuits now have improved functional performance because the circuits are more complex and can be manufactured for better characteristics.
• Greater ability to operate at extreme temperatures.
• Suitable for small-signal operation because there is no chance of any stray electrical pickup, as the various components of INC are very close to each other on the silicon wafer.
• There will not be any external projection as all components are inside the chip.

Disadvantages of integrated circuits

• Some complex ICs are expensive, and if such complex ICs are used roughly, then there is a risk of failure, and if any component of the IC fails, it must be replaced with a new component because they cannot be repaired because the individual components inside the IC are too small.
• Limited power ratings, as most ICs are rated at no more than 10 watts. Therefore, manufacturing high power ICs is not possible.
• Transformers and inductors cannot be integrated into the ICs. Therefore, they need to be connected externally to the semiconductor pins.
• Advanced P-N-P assemblies are not possible.
• ICs will not work properly if mishandled or exposed to excessive heat.
• Obtaining a low temperature coefficient is quite difficult.
• Manufacturing capacitors with values over 30pF is not possible. High value capacitors need to be connected to the IC from outside.
• The saturation resistance value of the transistor is very high.

Applications and Uses of Integrated Circuits

Integrated circuits are used in different forms and have different shapes and sizes. Uses of integrated circuits include:

• Rado
• Watches
• Computers
• Video processors
• TV
• Logic devices
• Juicer
• Storage devices
• Audio Amplifiers
• Microwave Amplifiers
• Small Signal Amplifiers
• RF decoders and encoders
• Voltage regulators
• Timers
• Clock Chips
• Calculators
• Thongs
• Memory Chips
• Counters
• Temperature sensor
• Microcontroller