Integrated circuits have played a large role in the development of all the technological wonders that populate the world today. But what is an integrated circuit? How does it apply to you? How has their development changed your life? To answer these questions, we must first work to understand them as a whole.
Integrated circuits, or chips, simply perform as a very powerful electric circuit. Their makeup should not be too far from your grasp, as they are constructed from basic electronic parts. The technology that makes your computer able to run everything from Word to Half-Life is just run by connected transistors, diodes, capacitors, and resistors. The transistors act as amplifiers for all of our household electronics, while the resistors focus on tuning back the effect.
Capacitors allow electricity to be stored and released in varying amounts for special effects, and the diode works to cut off electricity. Through these simply changes to electric current, we are able to send information throughout the device to make everything just work.
Now that you understand the basics, you should probably at least understand how we went from basic circuitry in the...