How an Intel Processor is Made

8/8/2019 How an Intel Processor is Made

1/14

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tel Proc

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2/14

after

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aw sand a

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3/14

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ed wafers,

meters of

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ces. Intel

g-ready


4/14

wafe

use

chips, i

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photo

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wafers wi

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s stage, th

rd-party c

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e wafer spi

photo-res

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ter of 300

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anced 45 n

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costs per

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allow an every thin.

d to ultra

m High-K

hen Intel

days, Intel

hip.

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venly-dist

violet (UV

Metal Gat

irst began

uses 300

se used in

ibuted co

light. The

e process

making

m wafers

film for

ting that's

chemical


5/14

reacti

Area

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creat

n trigger

s of the re

xposure is

the varioover

d by the U

th

ist on the

done usin

s circuit pnd over u

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moment

afer that

masks th

atterns. Ttil multip

imilar to

ou press t

have been

t act like

e buildine layers a

hat happe

e shutter

exposed to

tencils. W

of a CPUe stacked

ns to film

button

UV light

en used

essentiallyn top of e

aterial in

ill becom

ith UV lig

repeats thch other.

a camera

soluble.

t, masks

is process


6/14

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n the

co

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dis

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the wafe

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have a re

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solvent.

mask's i

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resentatio

ed eye. A

uter chip.

ghly 30 m

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his reveal

age to a s

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n of what

ransistor

Intel resea

llion of th

e exposed

a pattern

all focal

linearly, t

single tra

cts as a s

chers hav

m could fi

blue phot

of photo r

oint. The

an the m

nsistor wo

itch, cont

e develope

t on the he

resist are

sist made

esulting "

sk's patter

ld appear

olling the

transisto

ad of a pin

s are com

by the ma

print" on

n.

like if we

low of

rs so small

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pletely

k. The


7/14

begin

the p

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nings of tr

oto resist

er the etch

nsistors, i

layer prot

were e

ing, the ph

nterconne

cts wafer

posed will

oto resist i

ts, and ot

this poin

aterial th

be etched

s removed

er electric

t.

at should

away with

and the d

al contacts

ot be etch

chemicals

sired shap

begin to g

ed away.

.

e becomes

row from

reas that

visible.


8/14

More

the

whe

throug

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to

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washed o

e ion parti

properti

h a proces

f the silic

lter the w

(blue) is

ff again be

cles are ex

es in a wa

called ion

n wafer a

y silicon i

pplied an

fore the ne

posed to th

that allo

implantat

e bombar

these are

then re-e

xt step, wh

e wafer, al

s the CPU

ion (one fo

ed with io

as conduct

posed to

ich is calle

lowing the

to control

rm of a pr

ns. Ions ar

electricity

V light. E

d ion dopi

silicon to

the flow o

cess calle

e implante

. Ions are

xposed ph

g. This is

hange its

electricit

doping) t

d in the sili

ropelled o

to resist is

the step

hemical

..

he exposed

con wafer

nto the


9/14

surfac

After

This t

of the wa

the ion im

ransistor i

er at very

of ove

plantation

have been

s close to b

high veloci

300,000

, the photo

doped (gre

eing finish

ties. An el

m/hour (r

resist will

en) now h

ed. Three

ctrical fiel

ughly 185

be remove

s alien at

oles have

d accelera

,000 mph)

d and the

ms implan

been etche

es the ion

aterial th

ted.

d into the i

to a speed

at should

nsulation


10/14


11/14

Mul

trans

and d

Intel

have

you w

The ex

iple metal

istors. Ho

esign tea

s Core i7

over 20 la

ill see an i

cess mater

layers are

these con

s that dev

rocessor)

ers to for

tricate ne

ial is polis

created to

nections h

lop the fu

While co

complex

work of ci

multi-la

ed off lea

interconn

ve to be

ctionality

puter chi

circuitry.

rcuit lines

ered high

ing a very

cts (think

wired is d

of the res

s look ext

f you look

and transi

way syste

thin layer

wires) in b

etermined

ective pro

emely flat

at a magn

stors that l

.

of copper.

etween the

by the arc

essor (for

, they may

ified view

ook like a

various

hitecture

example,

actually

f a chip,

uturistic,


12/14

This

test p

Afte

The

the ne

raction of

tterns are

tests dete

ies that re

t step (pa

a ready w

fed into e

rmine that

sponded w

kaging). B

fer is bein

ery single

compare

the wafer

wafer is cu

ith the rig

ad dies ar

out

g put thro

chip and t

to "the ri

has a good

t into piec

t answer t

discarded

of bad CP

gh a first

e respons

ght answe

yield of fu

s (called d

o the test

. Several y

U dies.

functional

e from the

."

nctioning

ies).

attern wil

ears ago, I

ty test. In

chip moni

rocessor

l be put fo

ntel made

his stage

ored and

nits, the

ward for

key chains


13/14

Thi

T

pr

proce

interf

A m

hund

Durin

is an indi

e substrat

cessor. Th

ssor to int

ce where

croproces

reds of ste

g this final

tested

vidual die,

shown

e, the die,

e green su

ract with

cooling s

or is the

ps and onl

test the p

haracteri

which has

here is a d

nd the he

strate bui

he rest of

lution will

ost compl

the most

ocessors

tics are po

been cut o

ie of an In

tspreader

lds the elec

he PC sys

be applie

operatiox manufa

important

story.

ill be teste

wer dissip

ut in the p

el Core i7

are put to

trical and

em. The si

. This will

n.tured pro

ones have

d for their

tion and

evious ste

processor.

gether to f

mechanic

lver heats

keep the p

uct on ea

been visua

key chara

aximum

(slicing).

rm a com

l interface

reader is

rocessor c

th. In fact

lized in thi

teristics (

requency)

The die

leted

for the

thermal

ol during

, it takes

s picture

mong the


14/14

Base

the

maxi

he ma

go to s

supply

but i t

on the te

ame trans

um opera

ufactured

ystem ma

ing the tex

hanking fo

t result of

porting tr

ing frequ

and tested

ufacturer

t and phot

w

r the one w

class testin

ys. This p

ncy of a p

to st

processor

in trays o

s in this p

ah making

ho firstly cr

and

g processo

ocess is c

ocessor, a

able specif

s (again In

r into retai

icture stor

a proc so d

eate a proc

fast n sav

rs with th

lled "binn

d batches

ications.

tel Core i7

l stores in

y. or full si

amn compl

essor now

s times

same cap

ing". Binn

are divide

processor

a box. Ma

ze images

icated.

ur jobs get

bilities ar

ing determ

d and sold

is shown h

y thanks t

f this enti

tinh more e

put into

ines the

according

ere) either

o Intel for

e process.

ffectively

How an Intel Processor is Made

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