Microelectronics 19377 224138648 2008-07-07T14:16:36Z Chriseandrews 7434530 Additional definition '''Microelectronics''' is a subfield of [[electronics]]. Microelectronics, as the name suggests, is related to the study and manufacture, or [[Microfabrication]], of electronic components which are very small (usually micron-scale or smaller, but not always). These devices are made from [[semiconductor]]s. Many components of normal electronic design are available in microelectronic equivalent: [[transistor]]s, [[capacitor]]s, [[inductor]]s, [[resistor]]s, [[diode]]s and of course [[Electrical insulation|insulator]]s and [[Electrical conductor|conductor]]s can all be found in microelectronic devices. '''Microelectronics''' is a term also used to describe the design and manufacture of hybrid microcircuits or [[hybrid integrated circuit]]. The term 'hybrid' indicates that the product or microcircuit is constructed using a mixture of technologies and generally based on a ceramic, glass or metal substrate. The active silicon components together with passive components such as resistors, capacitors and inductors are bonded (or soldered) to a substrate featuring deposited thin or thick film interconnect to form a modular product solution. The hybrid may then be incorporated into a larger [[Printed Circuit Board Assembly]] (PCBA)which increases the circuit density for a given area. In cases where all add-on devices are already packaged, the resulting module is often referred to as a 'surface mount hybrid'. For greater levels of integration, unpackaged active silicon components may be attached to the substrate using an adhesive or [[eutectic]] solder. Connection to the device or die is achieved by gold or aluminium wire bonding. This style of module is known as a 'chip & wire' hybrid and may be hermetically packaged or coated with an [[epoxy]] or [[silicone]] material for mechanical and environmental protection. Digital [[integrated circuit]]s (ICs) consist mostly of transistors. Analog circuits commonly contain resistors and capacitors as well. Inductors are used in some high frequency analog circuits, but tend to occupy large chip area if used at low frequencies; [[gyrator]]s can replace them in many applications. As techniques improve, the scale of microelectronic components continues to decrease. At smaller scales, the relative impact of intrinsic circuit properties such as interconnections may become more significant. These are called '''parasitic effects''', and the goal of the microelectronics design engineer is to find ways to compensate for or to minimize these effects, while always delivering smaller, faster, and cheaper devices. == See also == * [[Electrical engineering]] * [[Digital circuit]] * [[Analog circuit]] == External links == {{wikibookspar||Microwiki}} *[http://wwwdsa.uqac.ca/~lsr ERMETIS Microelectronics and Reconfigurable Systems Research Laboratory] *[http://www.mixdes.org/ MIXDES - International Conference 'MIXed DESign of Integrated Circuits and Systems'] *[http://www.ieee-virtual-museum.org/exhibit/exhibit.php?id=159270&lid=1 IEEE Virtual Museum, Let's Get Small: The Shrinking World of Microelectronics] *[http://www.cmc.ca CMC Microsystems] (CMC) *[http://www.cmac.com/index.php C-MAC MicroTechnology] *[http://www.migas.inpg.fr MIGAS, International Summer School on Advanced Microelectronics] *[http://www.rit.edu/kgcoe/ue Microelectronic Engineering Education at Rochester Institute of Technology] [[Category:Electronics]] [[ast:Microelectrónica]] [[bn:মাইক্রোইলেকট্রনিক্স]] [[bg:Микроелектроника]] [[ca:Microelectrònica]] [[de:Mikroelektronik]] [[es:Microelectrónica]] [[fr:Micro-électronique]] [[gl:Microelectrónica]] [[he:מיקרואלקטרוניקה]] [[hu:Mikroelektronika]] [[pl:Mikroelektronika]] [[pt:Microeletrônica]] [[ru:Микроэлектроника]] [[sq:Mikroelektronika]] [[sk:Mikroelektronika]] [[sr:Микроелектроника]] [[sv:Mikroelektronik]] [[th:ไมโครอิเล็กทรอนิกส์]] [[zh:微电子学]]