Types of ICs and applications

ICs continue to evolve, offering ever-higher precision and processing speeds, along with a growing array of advanced functions.

Various Types of ICs

Production of ICs began in the early 1960s. The last four decades have seen constant technological innovation in the field of IC manufacturing. Today, an IC can comprise millions to tens of millions of electronic elements, and a remarkably wide variety of ICs are available. Some of these are introduced below. Classification of ICs by Degree of Integration Before ICs were introduced, electronic components (e.g. transistors, diodes, resistances, and capacitors) used in electrical appliances such as transistor radios formed circuits by being installed individually into substrates and connected. An Integrated Circuit (IC) is an electronic circuit consisting of one silicon semiconductor substrate (chip) on which a number of these electronic components (elements) are mounted. ICs can be classified based on the degree of integration (the number of elements mounted on a single chip) -- examples include Large-Scale Integration (LSI) and Very Large-Scale Integration (VLSI). The term "IC" is used to refer to all classifications of semiconductor integrated circuits, from SSIs to ULSIs. Classification of ICs by Function As the range of elements that could be mounted on chips became wider, increasingly functional ICs were developed. We can group ICs into four basic categories based on function. Memories Memories are ICs that store data and programs. The two primary types of memories are Volatile Memories, which lose stored data when power is disconnected from them and Nonvolatile Memories, which retain stored data even when power is not supplied to them. Representative Volatile Memories include DRAMs, which are used as computer main memories, and SRAMs, which are capable of high-speed operation. SRAMs are used as personal computer cache memories and mobile phone memories. Nonvolatile Memory applications include digital still camera memory cards for recording images and flash memories for mobile phones. Microcomputers Microcomputers are ultra-small computers incorporating Central Processing Units (CPUs) -- which perform calculations as well as logical operations -- memories and interface circuits. Microcomputers are divided into two classifications: MPUs and MCUs. The Microprocessor Unit (MPU) consists of a chip on which a CPU and peripheral circuits are mounted. MPUs are found at the heart of personal computers and servers. The Microcontroller Unit (MCU) is a one-chip computer containing a small-scale CPU and memory, input/output interface and peripheral devices (I/O) such as timers, controllers and data buses. MCUs are widely used in microcomputer-controlled home appliances such as refrigerators, air conditioners, rice cookers, and washing machines. They can also be found in electronic devices like PDAs, game machines, mobile phones, car navigation systems, and DVD players, as well as industrial devices such as industrial control units. ASIC ASIC is the acronym for Application-Specific Integrated Circuit. Generally, the term refers to ICs designed by an electronic device manufacturer for use in its own products. Because ASICs are designed and manufactured to provide specific functions for electronic devices such as mobile phones, PDAs and game machines, they deliver superior performance and functionality. ASICs are employed in various consumer and industrial electronic devices. System LSI/SoC A system LSI refers to a large-scale IC into which an entire system consisting of multiple LSIs -- CPU, memory, peripheral circuits and ASICs -- are integrated. System LSIs are mounted in electronic devices such as mobile phones, digital still cameras, portable audio devices and game machines, all of which require ICs that are small and consume relatively little power. The System on Chip (SoC) offers a higher degree of functionality than a system LSI. An SoC comprises microprocessors, chip sets, memories, and video chips. This single chip boasts all of the functions of a computer. SoCs deliver benefits such as reduced mounting space, lower power consumption and higher cost-efficiency. As such, they are used in information communication devices such as personal computers and mobile phones, and are also found in digital home appliances like digital still cameras, digital televisions and game machines, and car navigation systems. System LSIs and SoCs, both of which offer extremely high-level functionality on a single chip, are ICs that incorporate the advanced technologies necessary to drive today's mobile phones and the components and devices of the burgeoning digital broadcasting industry.

Dedicated-function ICs

Some of these high-performance ICs come with advanced functions conceived specifically for the device in which the IC is to be installed. These ICs with dedicated functions are developed for sale to manufacturers of products such as digital home appliances including personal computers, DVDs, digital still and video cameras. They are also frequently used in communication devices like mobile phones, network-related devices, and various electronic products for automobiles. Representative ICs with specific functions are shown below.

Type of IC Features and applications Examples of products incorporating dedicated functions Flash memory This is an example of Nonvolatile Memory. The memory can store data even when power is not supplied to it. The memory is characterized by its ability to erase data in total or in block units to record new data, and by low power consumption when in standby. Flash memories are often used to store programs in mobile devices and digital home appliances, and as digital still camera memory cards. Mobile phones PDAs Notebook computers Memory cards Portable audio players DVDs Digital still cameras Digital video cameras DSP (Digital Signal Prosessor) Microprocessors dedicated to high-speed processing of digital audio and video signals The processors are widely used in communication devices that handle digital sound, audio devices, digital image devices, and network-related devices. Mobile phones and telephones Digital still cameras DVD, CD, and MP3 players Network routers MPEG ICs that compress and decompress digital moving image data These ICs are employed in digital image devices such as DVD and HDD recorders, digital broadcasting devices, and communication- and network-related digital image processing devices. DVD recorders and players Digital TVs Digital video cameras Mobile phones CODEC (COder- DECoder) ICs incorporating capability to convert audio/video analog data into digital codes, and back into data These ICs compress and decompress data to efficiently transmit moving images and sounds over a network or between communicating parties. Internet Modems Network devices Communication devices

Examples of IC Applications -- Mobile phone is filled with high-performance ICs

A mobile phone is basically a conglomeration of highly functional ICs. The mobile phone is the quintessential IT product. Until now, a total of 79 million units have been shipped in Japan. More than 400 million units were shipped during FY 2002. Our everyday lives have undergone significant change due to the mobile phone. In addition to personalizing communication, they have made information of all kinds easily accessible, via the Internet or transmitted sound or images. The rapid progress of ICs has led to smaller, lighter mobile phones with increasingly high-level functions. What types of ICs are used in a small mobile phone? High-performance and Multi-functional Mobile Phones Featuring System LSIs Third-generation (3G) mobile phones, which now weigh as little as 100 grams, have not only digital system voice functions, but also e-mail and Web browsing functions, game programs, and video and music data transmission capability. More recently, mobile phones equipped with CCD or CMOS image sensors have made quite a splash. They can capture still or moving images, and transmit them. To bring all of these capabilities to life, many ICs such as microprocessors, memories, DSPs, and other dedicated ICs are required. Mobile phones, which are popular largely due to their compact, lightweight design and low power consumption, are equipped with system LSIs, each of which contains multiple chips. These LSIs control voice and data communication, and process audio and video multimedia data. The types of ICs used in mobile phones equipped with CCD or CMOS image sensors are classified by function as shown below. Mobile phone functions Applied ICs Transmission/reception of radio waves RF IC Basic telephone functions (voice, e-mail) Baseband processor (system LSI combined with CPU, DSP, and memory) Multimedia processing of moving/still images and audio data Application processor (system LSI combined with CPU, DSP, and memory) Storage of telephone directory and received/transmitted e-mails, and storage of video/audio and program data Flash memory and SRAM Camera module Image sensor (CCD or CMOS) and DSP LCD functions LCD driver IC and LCD controller IC Power circuit, power amplifier and transmission module, and infrared data communication module ICs are also installed in the mobile phone. [Voice communication via digital mobile phone from a technical standpoint] (Transmission) Audio signals received by the microphone are converted into digital signals, compressed and coded by a baseband processor, and input to the RF IC. The RF IC amplifies the frequency of the signals. They are then converted into radio waves by the internal transmitting power amplifier, and transmitted to a base station. (Receiving) The weak high-frequency radio wave signals (digital signals) received by the antenna are amplified by the RF IC and transferred to the baseband processor, which converts the digital data into audio signals, and the signals are amplified and reproduced via the loudspeaker. Although in the past it took numerous LSIs to accomplish these various communication processing tasks, the system LSI has made it possible for all processing to be performed by only two LSIs. The remarkable progress of mobile phones is due in large part to small, high-performance ICs, developed by applying extremely advanced semiconductor manufacturing technology.

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