Silicon microelectronics technology

Abstract

Two inventions — the bipolar transistor and the integrated circuit — have fundamentally revolutionized the technology of mankind. Within a period of fifty years, the microelectronics industry has increased the number of transistors fabricated on a single piece of semiconductor crystal by a factor of about 100 million, that is, 1.0e10+8, a productivity phenomenon unparalleled in the history of technology and mankind. This paper begins with a historical review of that revolution — from the first integrated circuit to modern very large scale integration (VLSI) technology — and then reviews the development of present-day microelectronics manufacturing technology, based on the concept of the “planar process.” The topics covered include silicon crystal technology, crystal dopant techniques, silicon oxidation development, lithography, materials deposition processes, pattern transfer mechanisms, metal interconnect technology, and material passivation technology. The paper concludes with a review of the major technical and economic issues that face the microelectronics industry today and discusses the future technical and economic paths that the industry may take.