Microelectronics
Microelectronics
Microelectronics (pronounced: mi·cro·elec·tron·ics) is a subfield of Electronics that studies the design and manufacture of extremely small electronic designs and components. The term itself is derived from the Greek word micro meaning small, and electronics, the study of electron behavior and related phenomena.
Etymology
The term "microelectronics" is a combination of the prefix "micro-" from the Greek mikros meaning small, and "electronics", which comes from the word "electron", a fundamental particle that carries a negative electric charge. The term was first used in the mid-20th century to describe the field of study focused on the miniaturization of electronic components.
Related Terms
- Semiconductor: A material that has a resistivity between a conductor and an insulator. Semiconductors are used extensively in electronic circuits, and most microelectronic components are built from semiconductors.
- Integrated Circuit: A set of electronic circuits on a small chip of semiconductor material. Integrated circuits are a key component in microelectronics.
- Nanoelectronics: A branch of electronics that deals with devices that are so small that inter-atomic interactions and quantum mechanical properties need to be studied extensively.
- Microprocessor: An integrated circuit that contains the functions of a central processing unit of a computer on a single chip.
- Microcontroller: A compact integrated circuit designed to govern a specific operation in an embedded system.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Microelectronics
- Wikipedia's article - Microelectronics
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