How IC Chips Revolutionized the Electronics Industry

Image source Freepik

Integrated ciruits, which are also know as chips or ASIC, or microchips have greatly revolutionized the the electronics industry in many different ways. The changes have affected all types of electronics, whether it is small hand-held devices or large appliances and machines. In a same way, we have witnessed massive revolution in both domestic and commercial  electronics industry.

Keep reading as we explore different ways in which the IC chips have revolutionized the electronics industry.

History of integrated circuit

The name Jack  Kilby is quite common in the IC chip industry. He is credited for inventing integrated circuit. At the time of this invention, nobody seemed to bother or care what ICs were and the impact that they could have in the field of electronics.

Before the invention of ICs, vacuum tubes were quite popular. There were large and bulky devices that supported connections between different electronic components. Other than the size factor, the tubes had heating issues. They had to be heated before so as to function. The fact that they were large mans that transporting them was quite an issue.

Knowing the numerous disadvantages that came with using the tubes, the first patent for the semiconductors was filed i 1949 by a German engineer Werner Jacobi. He lined up a couple of transistors and used them to make an amplifier. From his experiments, he realized that you can shrink a circuit and still achieve the best results. However, his invention did not attract much interest as was expected.

It was until in 1957 when Jack Kilby came into the picture of integrated circuits. He deeloped a prototype that somehow matched the standards of the today’s IC.

The first  working IC was developed in 1959 and still rode on Kilby’s  prototypes.

Given that Kilby’s invention came at the time of war, it was logical that the first client was the US Air Force. The invention of the IC won Jack Kilby the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000.

Development of integrated circuits

Beyond the invention, there have been lots of activities that have taken place with regards to the development of the integrated circuits.

Kilby’s IC used germanium as its main wafer material. There were some major limitations that came with using germanium and the first improvement entailed using silicon chip instead of the germanium.

Glass insulation was also introduced to replace germanium. It made it possible to imprint aluminum wires on the  silicon transistors.

Over the years, there was great improvement in the functionality and storage capacities of the integrated circuits.

To date, the storage capacity keeps increasing.

What about the size of the integrated circuits? Well it has been reducing over the years. This  happens despite gradual increase of the chip’s storage capacity.

The performance features of the integrated circuits have also been on upward trajectory. This, perhaps is the main reason why the integrated circuits have greatly revolutionized the electronics.

The design aspect of the integrated circuits has also been improving over the years. The compact designs of the chips are able to accommodate more electronic components while at the same time be compatible with more devices.

Miniaturization of the electronics

As the integrated circuits evolved, they became smaller and smaller. The same happened to all the electronic devices and appliances in which the ICs are used. They also became smaller.

Most chips are compact and comprise of tiny electronic components. Before the IC era, electronic devices were large. You will have to spare a large area to accommodate the devices.

Their large sizes was mainly because they had to accommodate large  individual components such as resistors, transistors, capacitors among others.

With IC, all these components are integrated into a single chip which can easily fit into a device. You don’t have to worry about the space factor.

Miniaturization is also highly credited for the many mobile-friendly devices that we have in the market.

Think of smartphones, wearable and other small devices. This could not be achieved without the small integrated circuits.

Will we reach a limit of the miniaturization in the world of electronics?

From the look of things, we should expect devices to even get smaller.

Lighter electronic devices

Closely related to the size is the weight of electronics. Innovation of the IC chips have resulted in drastic weight reduction of the electronic components.

How has this been achieved?

Technically, the smaller the component, the lighter it will be.  This is just one of the ways.

Also, the compact nature of the integrated circuits helps to cut down the excess weight that would  otherwise have made the devices heavy.

The light weight of the electronic enhances their mobility such that they can be easily shipped.

Most hand-held electronic devices are not only small but also convenient to carry around because they are super light.

Increased functionality

One aspect in which we can analyze the revolution created by ICs in electronics is increased functionality.

This  simply implies that devices can do more that they used to.

For example, a single electronic device can be used for reading data while at the same display it for further analysis.

How is this possible? It all happens because IC chips comprise of a combination of different circuits which have been combined to work in a single chip.

While each circuit may be dedicated to executing a particular role, a combination of several circuits means that the chip will be able to do more tasks.

When this chip is installed in a device,  we should except more functions from a single device.

The multifunctional impact of the IC chips is also due to the fact that a single chip has the capacity to accommodate many electronic components.

Better performance

IC chips have improved the performance of the electronics. This can be proven by various parameters that are used to gauge the performance of a chip.

For instance, if a particular device was slow,introduction of processor chips made them faster.

We can also discuss performance using the accuracy as a parameter. Integrated circuits have greatly improved the accuracy levels at which devices  process and record data. This explain the emergence of devices that have fast data processing capacities.

Also modern  communication electronic devices are better at transmitting and receiving signals. It all boils down to their accuracy and processing speeds.

Lower energy consumption

Image source Freepik

Discrete electronic devices are known for their high energy consumption. IC chips have greatly revolutionized the energy aspect of the electronic devices. They have made the devices to be more energy-efficient.

There are various ways in which the chips contribute to the energy efficiency of the devices.

First, the modular design of the IC chips means that all the components are close to each other.This means that electric current  flowing through the components will cover significantly short distance.

Ever heard of power integrated circuits? These are chips that are specifically designed for managing power in electric devices. They ensure that there is proper power optimization, which in turn helps to cut own the energ consumption of the devices.

What does power management mean to a final consumer? It means that you will pay less to run most electric devices.

Power management ICs  also protect devices from electrical hazards such as over current and short circuit.

Improved reliability in electronics

An electronic device is reliable when it performs its functions effectively without breaking down constantly.

This is what IC chips have added to the electronics. They have made the devices to be more reliable than before.

The reliability of the devices has been achieved in many different ways.

First the simplicity of the IC means that there are no many interconnections between components in the device. This eliminates any chances of electric interference which can hinder the reliability of the electronics.

Also, effective power management of the IC chips protects the devices from electric  damages.

This explains why modern electric devices are durable and still  able to deliver the desired results for long.

Cost-saving

IC chips have revolutionized the cost of buying and maintaining electronics. To give you a hint, try to compare the price of electric devices today with that of some years ago. It will be easy to notice that the price has been on a downwards trajectory. IC chips can take the credit for the cheaper devices.

Under than the price, IC have also revolutionized the running cost of the electronics. For instance, by reducing the energy consumption, you will spend less on the energy bills.

The reliability due to the IC chips means that you will not spend much on the repair and maintenance of the electronics.

Flexibility in electronic design

With IC chips, designers are free to explore different designs when working on projects. This is mainly due to the small sizes of the chips. Designers wont have to worry about the space and other physical constraints.

The flexibility is the big reason why we have electronic devices with different designs in the market.

At this point, it will be good to appreciate the role that IC chips have played in revolutionizing the electronics. Since this is an evolving field, we expect more results of the chips in the world of electronics.

If you want to find more Electronic Components Distributors, please check out the following articles:

Electronic Components Distributors In the USA

Electronic Components Distributors In UK

Electronic Components Distributors In China

Electronic Components Distributors In India

Electronic Components Distributors In Singapore

Electronic Components Distributors In Malaysia

Electronic Components Distributors In Vietnam

Electronic Components Distributors In South Korea

Electronic Components Distributors In Taiwan

Electronic Components Distributors In Hong Kong