Why Do We Call It "Chip"?

We call integrated circuits or microprocessors "chips" because of how they are made – small pieces are precisely cut or "chipped" off of larger semiconductor wafers during manufacturing. Let‘s explore why the word "chip" came to be used for this vital component powering modern computers and electronics.

A Brief History of the Chip

The basic concept of an integrated circuit was first proposed by engineers in the 1950s seeking an easier way to manufacture more complex electronics. Rather than connecting individual transistors and components on circuit boards, the radical idea was building complete circuits directly on semiconductor material.

Crucial to making this work was the ability to precisely "print" layered circuit layouts on thin wafers of silicon or germanium crystal using photolithography techniques borrowed from the printing industry. These wafers then have materials added or removed to create millions of embedded components in exact locations across the surface.

Once circuit fabrication and testing is complete, the circular wafers are carefully cut up ("chipped") into many small, rectangular integrated circuit units that will be housed in protective packaging. And there you have the origin of calling this game-changing advancement a silicon "chip"!

Chips have only continued to advance in complexity and power while shrinking drastically in size from those first pioneering ICs – from several millimeters on a side initially down to less than a fraction of a millimeter for modern processors with billions of 7nm or 5nm transistors. But the key manufacturing steps and concept of carving integrated circuits out of silicon have remained. And with it, the iconic name has stuck around too!

Why "Chip" Stuck as the Name

The word "chip" was well suited to describe these early efforts at printing circuits in silicon. Chipping shapes out of existing material meshes nicely with how the functional units were carved out from the fabricated wafers.

And the underlying process advancing from those initial ~10mm single-transistor ICs to today‘s processors cramming over 100 billion microscopic 5nm transistors into the same area aligns with the traditional meaning of "chip" as a small piece broken off from something larger.

Just as important, though, was the ubiquity and punchy simplicity of the term itself. Unlike alternatives proposed later like integrated circuit or microprocessor, "chip" was short, catchy, and approachable. This no doubt helped its popularity both within engineering circles and the general public.

As pioneering engineer Jack Kilby, co-inventor of the IC chip [ref], explained:

We had made this big breakthrough…We had to have some way of identifying these new creations. And of course, they were little pieces of silicon, so the term ‘chip‘ just came naturally.

So in many ways, referring to integrated circuits as "chips" emerged organically from the technical process while also filling an important need for an accessible label for radical new computing hardware that would reshape the technological landscape.

Characteristics of a Chip

Now that we‘ve covered why these integrated circuits earned the "chip" designation, let‘s look closer at what exactly makes up a chip:

• Semiconductor material – Usually thin layers of high purity silicon crystal but also gallium arsenide or germanium
• Transistors – Microscopic on/off switches made from semiconductor materials controlling electrical flow through chip
• Interconnects – Layers of metal (copper or aluminum) wires linking transistors into functional circuits
• Dielectric insulators – Silicon dioxide/other insulators separating conductive layers
• Input/output pads – External connection points bonded to chip package pins
• Substrate – Base material layer holding key semiconductor devices
• Passivation layer – Protective coating preventing damage to circuits

Advanced lithography techniques precisely build up circuit components and connections across multiple levels to create integrated logic functions all within an area dwarfed by a human hair.

While chips may seem impossibly tiny and complex, the key idea from Jack Kilby in 1959 remains deceptively simple – integrate everything needed to process information onto a single "chipped" unit of silicon instead of connecting many discrete parts on a board.

And engineers have raced over the past 60+ years to push the limits of how much advanced circuitry can possibly be built into these microscopic slivers of crystalline perfection powering all modern computing!

The Importance of Chips

It‘s incredible reflecting back on the revolution in technology sparked by ICs and the now ubiquitous and iconic "chip." Early visions of complete circuits shrunk down to tiny silicon chips seemed fanciful, but they have transformed nearly every aspect of human life in a few short decades.

Chips enabled game-changing advancements like powerful yet affordable home computers, handheld devices and smartphones bringing the internet to billions, AI & machine learning, DNA sequencing, microprocessors accelerating scientific research, advanced telescopes peering back billions of lightyears, self-driving vehicles, and spacecraft exploring our solar system up close.

And bold engineers are already racing toward astonishing processors and chip architectures expected in the coming decade – pushing closer to the physical limits with exotic 2D materials, quantum computing, optical ICs, DNA data storage, and microchips interfacing directly with the human brain.

Who would have thought such an economic, ubiquitous label like "chip" would come to represent one of humanity‘s most significant and transformative inventions – the integrated circuit – completely revolutionizing technology and civilization itself many times over!

Sources

1. Jack Kilby Oral History
2. The Chip That Jack Built