¢¢(This is an old article, that I think¢is still timely, and worth printing!¢HAPPY THANGSVING to all of you-Ye Olde¢EDITORS-Nov/Dec 1990)¢¢THE CHIP¢¢By JOSEPH A. SCHIBANI JR.¢ Downloaded from "CLEARING HOUSE"¢¢ It almost seems impossible but¢todays circuits contain millions of¢transistors barely the size of an¢infants thumbnail. Now doesn't this¢sound pretty minute? Well,¢researchers are now working to produce¢a CHIP even smaller than the one I¢have just explained!¢¢ Most people think "the bigger,¢the better". Not so when it comes to¢the CHIP. The smaller and more minute¢the micro-chip becomes, the greater¢its uses and possibilities become.¢¢ The CHIP, (which is a nickname¢for the intergrated circuit,) is a¢complex arrangement of electronic¢switches controlling electric current.¢ All this is built on just a fleck of¢silicon. Some CHIPS are H U G E¢information storers, which are called¢"memory chips". Others combine memory¢with logic to produce a "computer on a¢chip", or what we generally call a¢"microprocessor".¢¢ The CHIP, since its introduction¢in l959, has advanced technology in¢leaps and bounds. In every area of¢modern life we see CHIPS becoming¢cheaper and more powerful each year.¢Our lifestyle is now relying on what¢CHIPS can do for us, as well as how¢fast they can do the job.¢¢ This silver-gray fleck of¢silicon, (which is an ingredient of¢common beach sand), has the power of¢not only being a chip but has the¢power to create a new one. In its¢simplest form, it is just electronic¢circuitry. On its silicon base are¢many minute switches, joined by wires¢that are actually just very thin films¢of metal. Looking under a microscope,¢a chip would look very much like a¢large city veiwed from miles above.¢Its intricate maze of circuitry¢representing the buildings and¢plaza's.¢¢ With all that is going on inside¢a CHIP and thinking about its¢potential, could this be the start of¢robots replacing man? Let's stop and¢think of the human intellect that is¢contained in just one CHIP. So much¢like the human brain, the CHIP has a¢great potential to change our way of¢life.¢¢ Some microprocessors can make¢decisions, give instructions and even¢have self-adjusting controls. Cash¢registers have chips that can total¢bills, post sales, and update¢inventories as well. This ability to¢store logic and memory gives us the¢feeling of a human clone. When a¢microprocessors can do all this, is it¢any wonder that some people fear¢losing their job to a computer?¢¢ Since we can rely on machines¢that are computerized to "think" for¢us we may find that we have more¢"spare" time. They can do our work¢not only quickly but also¢intelligently. We may one day look¢back at this period in time as our¢second industrial revolution --¢calling it the "Computer Revolution".¢¢ This thought is based not only on¢the work that is accomplished by our¢CHIPS, but also on the recreational or¢"fun" part of our computer world. We¢do not have to look too close to see¢that CHIPS are very much a large part¢of our day-to-day life. Take for¢example our pocket calculator that we¢all rely on - and take for granted!¢How about the timer on the microwave¢oven. The microwave would not be¢worth too much without one. How that¢wrist-watch you're wearing right now.¢I bet that has a built-in LED read-out¢with date, time, calculator, stop¢watch, and possibly even a data bank¢too! We all enjoy PACMAN, as well as¢many other video games we play on our¢home video computer systems. Then¢there is the battle of the video¢cameras and VCR's. Our life has been¢so affected by the CHIP, that we could¢go on and on. Let's not forget the¢personal computer. This report would¢not be possible without one!¢¢ Speaking of personal computers,¢they are in such demand because their¢built-in instructions make them very¢easy to use and understand. The term¢"user-friendly" is based on this. All¢this is the result of the CHIP.¢¢ Computer conveniences have¢skyrocketed because so many people now¢own personal computers. Some of these¢conveniences are electronic mail¢through bulletin board systems (BBS),¢that are telephone dialed at the users¢location, with a device called a¢modem. Home shopping is another very¢popular service. Compuserve is one¢example. More important and most¢popular is the home banking services¢that are now available through many¢large banking systems. All these¢services are as simple and easy to use¢as your telephone. Again, all this is¢the result of the CHIP.¢¢ The CHIP has affected all our¢lives so much that people now question¢effective cures for poverty, hunger,¢and war. Some wonder if the streets¢will be safer if we tend to shop and¢bank from home through our home¢computer system. Will we need less¢cash because we pay our bills and shop¢from home? ¢¢ When the CHIP was born in l959,¢no one thought of these questions.¢Mainly because no one really thought¢the CHIP would take-off and become¢such a large part of our lives. Most¢parents are not sure if their children¢are learning anything by sitting in¢front of a "computer" all day.¢¢ Owning a personal computer¢teaches the owner the ability of the¢micro-chip. Each personal advance¢gives birth to another. With man and¢the "CHIP" so hard at work together,¢we can understand why the CHIP has¢endless possibilities.¢ ¢ Let's look further and see what's¢involved in the making of the CHIP.¢To get a rough idea of how much¢information is stored in a CHIP, let's¢picture mapping every street and¢highway of New York City on the head¢of a pin. ¢¢ The base of the CHIP is silicon.¢This is refined from quartz rocks.¢Melted and formed into long crytals,¢this purified silicon is sliced into¢thin wafers. These wafers are now¢insulated with a film of oxide, then¢coated with soft light-sensitive¢plastic called photoresist. Masked and¢exposed with ultraviolet light the¢exposed photoresist hardens. Acid and¢solvents now strip away the unexposed¢photoresist and oxide. This patterned¢silicon is ready to be etched by¢superhot gases. More silicon is laid¢down, masked, stripped then implanted¢with chemicals that form negative and¢positive conducting zones. repeating¢these steps builds layers linked by¢connecting "windows". Aluminum is¢melted onto the wafer, filling the¢gaps and forming conducting pathways.¢Each CHIP is diced away from the wafer¢and bonded with conventional wires. ¢¢ A new idea in the major advance¢of electronics is a type of chemical¢synthesis. Circuits under development¢for computer logic functions and¢memory devices will work with¢carbon-based organic molecules, very¢much like those in our bodies.¢Imagine, a biological microchip. Soon¢to be introduced is a super-fast¢computer memory based on organic¢molecules. Researchers are also¢trying to devise a method of¢communicating with molecular circuits.¢ ¢¢ Researchers are turning to this¢new molecular electronics because they¢fear limitations with ordinary¢solid-state intergrated circuits¢(IC's). Circuits may fail when¢electrons spill over from one¢transistor circuit to another. Heat¢caused from tight packing would also¢be a problem. ¢¢ Molecular circuits would be much¢smaller and faster, and use less¢power. The new type of CHIP would¢bring about a reduction in the size of¢circuit components. Molecular¢microchips would boost circuit¢densities 100,000 times or more over a¢silicon CHIP.¢¢ To create useful devices and¢circuits with organic molecules,¢researchers have to first develop¢extremely thin films of the molecules.¢ One method of forming these¢molecule-thin films is the following:¢The molecules used are long chains¢with different properties at both¢ends. One end must be attached to¢water molecules. The other end is¢fatty or oily - it repels water¢molecules. As a result, in water the¢molecules float at the surface with¢their oily ends up.¢¢ Chemists use a container with a¢movable side. With the long-chain¢molecules covering the water surfaces¢like a thin film of grease, the¢container side is moved inward,¢compressing the loosely scattered¢molecules until they line up to form a¢one-molecule-thick film. Each time a¢glass or quartz sheet is pulled¢through this film, a layer of¢molecules sticks to its surface.¢Researchers use the technique to form¢alternating layers of dyes that either¢absorb or emit light of different¢colors.¢¢ Organic molecules can be made to¢perform logic functions similar to¢those now performed by silicon-based¢CHIPS. There are some difficulties.¢Such a molecule is far too small for¢laser light to hit only one part and¢not the other. A laser beam, focused¢on a one-micron-wide spot, is a¢thousand times larger than the entire¢molecule. So, many molecules would be¢caught in the beam. ¢¢ A more complex circuit would have¢to be built in layers. Lasers of¢different wavelengths would be on top,¢serving as inputs. below would be¢molecule-thin films, each with a¢different, complex molecule. Laser¢input pulses would change the layers,¢making them transparent. Wavelenghs¢would go through the first layer and¢would set off changes in the second¢layer, and so forth, down the stack.¢At the bottom a fiber cable would¢carry the laser light to an adjacent¢molecular circuit.¢¢ Let's talk about wiring up these¢molecules. When thinking of silicon¢microchips the wiring seems as thick¢as a human body. The idea is to start¢with a molecule-thin film, then stack¢other molecules on top of the film.¢The molecules on top are antibodies,¢proteins that link up with the¢molecules below. To stiffen things¢up, the entire structure could be cast¢in plastic. A special enzyme is put¢on the antibody and makes a clear¢plastic coating on the spot when its¢fed the proper chemicals. Before you¢know it everything is coated with¢clear plastic.¢¢ So as we can see, whether its the¢silicon CHIP, or the molecular or¢organic CHIP, the CHIP has a definite¢future and is here to stay. Let us go¢on and enjoy all the benefits it has¢to offer us. Among these rewarding¢benefits are not only those of¢achievement, fun, time saving and most¢important, our health! Here's to you¢MR. CHIP.¢
