Silicon Chip Manufacturing Process: From Raw Silicon to Microprocessor

Silicon Chip Manufacturing Process: From Raw Silicon to Microprocessor

Silicon chips , also known as integrated circuits (ICs), are the brains behind modern electronic devices. From smartphones and computers to vehicles and medical equipment, their influence is vast. But how does a chunk of raw silicon transform into a highly complex microprocessor capable of executing billions of instructions per second? This article provides a comprehensive, step-by-step look at the silicon chip manufacturing process—from mining the raw material to producing the final packaged microprocessor. 1. Raw Silicon Extraction Silicon Source Silicon is derived from silica (SiO₂) , most commonly found in quartz sand . Although silicon is the second most abundant element in Earth’s crust, it needs to be purified for electronic applications. Purification The purification begins with carbothermic reduction , where silica is heated with carbon in an electric arc furnace at ~2,000°C to produce metallurgical-grade silicon (MG-Si) (~98-99% purity). Further refining using the Siemens process or f…