A chip is a part made of a semiconductor material that contains multiple integrated circuits.
Before knowing in depth the meaning of the term chip , it is necessary to discover its etymological origin. In this case, we can state that it is an English word that derives from the Latin cippus , which can be translated as "stake" or even as "post."
The term chip refers to a very small element, made of a semiconductor material, that has numerous integrated circuits . These circuits allow you to develop various functions in electronic devices.
It should be remembered that a material that, depending on certain factors, can act as an insulator or conductor is known as a semiconductor . An integrated circuit , for its part, is a system made up of several electronic elements that are miniaturized and housed in the same support made of a semiconductor material.
Characteristics of a chip
Returning to the idea of a chip, it is a piece that can house many integrated circuits. It usually has a silicon surface of just a few square millimeters, on which the circuits are produced through the process known as photolithography . The chips are protected with a ceramic or plastic capsule that has the metal conductors necessary to establish a connection with the printed circuit.
The creation of chips was a great step for the development of electronics . By printing the components in a photolithography unit, their production is economical, since one transistor does not need to be built at a time. The chips, in turn, require little material and consume a small amount of energy .
Cell phones ( mobile phones ), computers ( computers ), televisions and even cars , among many other devices and machines, have chips, which can have from ten to more than a million transistors. Depending on their components and manufacturing method, it is possible to distinguish between monolithic chips (made with a single crystal) and hybrid chips (thin-layer or thick-layer).
A debit or credit card may include a chip.
A Joe Dante movie
Within the field of cinema, the term in question has also been used on more than one occasion. This would be the case, for example, of the movie “The Wonder Chip” . It is a film released in 1987, directed by Joe Dante and starring actors of the caliber of Dennis Quaid, Martin Short, Meg Ryan and Kevin McCarthy.
This American feature film belongs to the adventure and science fiction genre, which received the Oscar for Best Visual Effects.
It tells the story of a pilot named Tuck who volunteers for a new project that involves reducing him to miniature size and then inserting him into a capsule as if it were a chip. Chip to be placed in a rabbit. That is the objective but, due to different circumstances, it will be miniaturized in a man, in a truly hypochondriac individual. A situation that will cause both characters to do everything in their power to reverse everything that happened.
The CHIP of Malaga
In addition to what is indicated, we cannot ignore the fact that CHIP is also the name of a health center.
We are referring to the Private Comprehensive Hospital Complex that exists on Carlos Haya Avenue in Malaga (Spain).