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The Art of Microchips: A Journey from Sand to Silicon

Published: 12 September 2023 | Last Updated: 12 September 20233942

Microchips, the tiny semiconductors that power our world, have a near-divine creation story. At the heart of this story is silicon, the second-most common element on Earth, considered by many in the i

Microchips, the tiny semiconductors that power our world, have a near-divine creation story. At the heart of this story is silicon, the second-most common element on Earth, considered by many in the industry as a gift from God. The process of making microchips starts with silica sand, a material found in abundance on our planet. This sand is heated, spun, and then a small seed crystal is dipped into the hot mixture to create a large single-crystal silicon ingot. This ingot is then sliced into flat wafers, which are polished to remove all blemishes, creating the flattest objects in the world. The real magic happens when these wafers are processed into chips. Using photolithography machines, atomic-sized transistors are carved, layered, and latticed onto the wafer, creating a semiconductive nano-universe. The process of etching on materials a few atoms thick is a kind of transubstantiation, turning sand into mind. Each chip, with billions or even trillions of transistors and wires stacked on it, amounts to an atomic multidimensional chessboard. The potential combinations of ons and offs can only be considered endless. However, the history of the microchip is not without controversy. The transistors on the microchip were the brainchild of a eugenicist, William Shockley. Despite his problematic legacy, the microchip industry has evolved to become a cornerstone of modern technology, with companies like Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) leading the way. TSMC, which makes 92 percent of the world’s most avant-garde chips, is at the forefront of this atomic construction, pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the realm of microchip technology.

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