We Can Figure This Out.org
Virtual Lab: Making an Integrated Circuit (IC)
University of Virginia
             
 
© 2003-Present, John C. Bean
 
Now let's walk through the (many) steps it takes to fabricate this transistor:

First a layer of SiO2 is grown on the silicon substrate by heating in O2 gas.

(Si is shown here in blue but it is actually metallic-charcoal in color).

Then a layer of Si3N4 is grown by heating in combination of NH3 and SiH4.

NOTE: to "see" the gas molecules, we?ve had to exaggerate their size, but only by about 50 times. That gives a feel for how small modern transistors are: only a few thousand atoms across!

 
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