The Difference between Chips, Semiconductors and Integrated Circuits

The Difference Between Integrated Circuits and Chips

*1. Expressions focus
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Integrated circuit: integrated circuits focus on electronic circuits, the underlying layout, and a broader range.

We will be a few diodes, triodes, capacitors, resistors mixed together, is the integrated circuit. This circuit can be an analog signal conversion, or with amplifier function, or logic circuit.

Chips: Chips are more intuitive and are the fingernail-sized, square or rectangular objects that we see with several small feet.

Chips are more focused on function, for example: CPU is used for information processing, program operation; GPU is mainly picture rendering; memory, as the name implies, is used to store data.

*2. Production method
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The raw material for chip manufacturing is wafer (silicon, gallium arsenide), then lithography, doping, packaging, testing, in order to complete the production of chips.

Chip manufacturing must be used to lithography, etching machines and other advanced equipment.

The raw materials and processes used for integrated circuits are much more extensive. It is as long as the complete circuit (containing components such as transistors, resistors, capacitors and inductors) is miniaturized, connected together by wiring, made on a semiconductor wafer or dielectric substrate, and then packaged in a tube housing.

For integrated circuits, photolithography and etching machines are not necessary.

*3. Package
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The most common package of the chip is the DIP package, also known as dual in-line package technology, dual entry package. The number of pins in this package is generally no more than 100, and the pitch is 2.54 mm.

Integrated circuits are placed into protective packages to facilitate handling and assembly onto printed circuit boards and to protect devices from damage, and a large number of different types of packages exist.

Simply put, the chip packages are more regular and way more focused. And integrated circuit packages are different in size and shape, and more ways and means.

*4. Different roles
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Chip is to package more circuits, which can increase the number of transistors per unit area, thereby enhancing performance and increasing functionality.

Integrated circuits in all components in the structure has formed a whole, so that electronic components towards miniaturization, low power consumption, intelligence and high reliability a big step forward.

Moore's law applies to both. That is, the number of components that can be accommodated on an integrated circuit will double every 18-24 months when the price remains the same, and the performance will double.

Read more: The Difference between Chips, Semiconductors and Integrated Circuits