/ˈɪntɪˌɡreɪtɪd ˈsɜːrkɪt/
noun … “Miniaturized electronic circuit on a semiconductor chip.”
Integrated Circuit (IC) is a compact electronic circuit fabricated on a single piece of semiconductor material, usually silicon, containing multiple components such as transistors, resistors, capacitors, and diodes. ICs provide complex functionality in a tiny footprint, enabling modern electronics to be small, fast, and reliable.
Key characteristics of Integrated Circuit include:
- Miniaturization: millions to billions of components on a single chip.
- High speed: short internal connections reduce signal propagation delays.
- Low power consumption: efficient compared to discrete component circuits.
- Reliability: fewer physical connections reduce failure points.
- Types: analog ICs, digital ICs, mixed-signal ICs, microcontrollers, and microprocessors.
Applications of Integrated Circuit range from microprocessors and memory modules to sensors, amplifiers, communication devices, and consumer electronics.
Workflow example: Simple digital IC (4-bit adder):
input_a = 0b1010
input_b = 0b0111
sum, carry = ic_4bit_adder.add(input_a, input_b)
print(sum, carry) -- sum = 0b10001, carry handled internally
Here, the IC performs arithmetic internally, using built-in logic gates and transistors, producing the output directly from the inputs.
Conceptually, an Integrated Circuit is like a miniature city of electronic components working together efficiently on a tiny chip.
See Transistor, Logic Gates, Microcontroller, Microprocessor, Semiconductor.