Fabrication of silicon-based integrated circuits

Credit: DAVID PARKER/SEAGATE MICROELECTRONICS LTD/ SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Restrictions:

Caption: Fabrication of silicon-based integrated circuits (chips), showing a technician monitoring the progress of low-temperature, plasma-enhanced nitride passivation, performed to protect the metal interconnect layer on the chip. Individual chips are constructed on a single wafer of crystalline silicon (visible at bottom centre). The complicated pattern of embedded layers and zones which comprises each integrated circuit was created by successive imaging, etching and deposition or growth processes. This particular wafer consists of chips that will be used to control the motors in computer disk drives.

Release details: Model release not available. Property release not required.

Keywords: chip fabrication, chip manufacture, electronic, electronics, high-tech, integrated circuit, microchip, passivation, plasma nitride, semiconductor industry, silicon chip, technology

Licence fees: A licence fee will be charged for any media (low or high resolution) used in your project.