Chip

The small semiconductor board which is the central component of the IC (integrated circuit). To differentiate it from all other types of chips (such as slivers of a material or small discs), it is also called “semiconductor chip” or, because it is almost always made of silicon, “silicon chip”. Often, the term “chip” describes not only the invisible finished electronic component but also the entire circuit assembly including the plastic housing and connection contacts. In order to obtain this end result of the finished, encapsulated chip, a number of manufacturing steps are necessary, in which plasma technology can be used in some places. For example, to activating the chip before encapsulation, or plasma cleaning the connection contacts. But plasma etching is also used, e.g. the "packaged" chip can be exposed again.