Introduction to integrated circuits

Integrated circuits (ICs) – or computer chips – have drastically changed our lives. They’re everywhere around us, and there’s virtually no aspect of our life and work that functions without them.

Integrated circuits:

• Contribute to better healthcare for everyone.
• Help to generate renewable energy.
• Pave the way for education tailored to everyone’s talents and needs.
• Are the building blocks for smart cities.
• Represent the key to an innovative and sustainable economy – for instance, by helping us organize food production and consumption responsibly.

In short, the possibilities are endless!

Introduction to integrated circuits in 5 modules

How do integrated circuits work? How are they made? And what can we do to make them even more equipped to take on the challenges of the future?

It’s all explained in this online course, which leads you step-by-step into the amazing tiny world of nanocircuits.

Follow the course

Module 1: get acquainted with integrated circuits

Find out what integrated circuits are, where you can find them, and their impact on society.

Module 2: how integrated circuits work

Get the answer to such questions as:

• What do integrated circuits do?
• What is a transistor?
• What language do integrated circuits speak?

Module 3: how integrated circuits are made

What does the production process for integrated circuits look like? Why is it so difficult to make integrated circuits? What is a cleanroom? What raw materials do you need, and which production steps are required? This module guides you through the complete journey from silicon to finished product.

Module 4: Moore’s law

Thanks to technological progress, the number of transistors on an integrated circuit doubles each year. At least, that’s the prediction of Moore’s law. But that seemingly iron rule now runs into some unnegotiable physical limits. This module shows you how we can circumvent those limits and what that means for Moore’s law.

Module 5: the future

What more do integrated circuits have in store for us? This module explains how we can make computer chips even smaller, more powerful, less power-hungry, and more versatile. And it will introduce you to the mind-boggling concept of quantum bits.

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