Electronic Components in Integrated Circuits

VLSI is a popular design scale of electronic components in integrated circuits

Without a doubt, integrated circuits, or ICs, are the key drivers behind electronic circuit board design efficiency. Without them, PCBs would be populated with discrete components only, which would require larger boards with more traces, which translates into more materials and higher costs. Additionally, the range of applications for circuit boards would be narrower and many of the products we rely on would not be buildable as we know them today.

From a design perspective, ICs enable complex circuit architectures to be divided into major sections or building blocks. In many cases, this distribution results in a significantly simpler PCB layout. However, operational and manufacturing challenges remain that necessitate the role of electronic components in integrated circuits be understood and leveraged for your design.

Electronic Components in Integrated Circuits Types

The number of electronic components in integrated circuits can range from single digits to billions. Although, any number of components that are connected electrically may be called circuits, integrated circuits are distinguished by how they are manufactured, packaged, and scaled. This is reflected by the examples of electronic components in integrated circuits, shown below.

The table above illustrates one of the most common ways of categorizing ICs, according to the numbers of internal components–transistors and logic gates. However, there are other classifications that are readily used to classify ICs.

Integrated Circuit Design Classifications

How integrated circuits or chips–as they are often referred to–are manufactured is also a popular classification scheme. IC fabrication classes include:

IC Fabrication Classes:

• Thin Flim ICs
  • Primary methods are cathode sputtering, where atoms from a thin film material are deposited on a substrate, and vacuum evaporation, where attachment of a vaporized material to the substrate is performed in a vacuum.
• Thick Film ICs
  • Silkscreen printing technique creates a component image on ceramic material, which is fused to the substrate.
• Hybrid ICs
  • Multiple ICs are connected or wired together into a single device.
• Monolithic ICs
  • The most implemented method, where all components–active, passive and discrete–are manufactured on one crystal.

Another means of classifying ICs is by signal type.

IC Signal Classes:

• Digital ICs – typically used in flip flops, counters, multiplexers, microprocessors, microcontrollers, etc.
• Analog ICs – widely used in operational and differential amplifiers, linear regulators, sensors, etc.
• Mixed Signal ICs – extensively used for D/A and A/D converters, power supply management systems, etc.

Regardless of the electronic components in integrated circuit classification, all ICs are intended to expedite the PCBA development process by helping to make the design⇒build⇒test (DBT) stages more efficient and less costly.

PCB Design for Optimal IC Performance

From the days when all electrical circuits were wired by hand to today’s mostly automated fabrication and assembly methods seems like light-years apart. What has remained is the quality of the design process determines the level of ease or difficulty of the board build. And there is no technological advance that has been more impactful than the integrated circuit. Nevertheless, the various types and applications of ICs require that considerations are incorporated to help leverage the size and simplicity advantages of designing PCBs with ICs.

Optimizing Your PCB Design for ICs Choose IC packages to avoid wasting components and/or board space Keep different signal routes separated as much as possible for mixed signal ICs Make sure your symbols, footprints and 3D models are accurate

The more you know about ICs, such as how they are built and how the internal components are organized, the more you can utilize best design practices, as listed above, to leverage the size and simplicity advantages that ICs bring to PCBA development. 

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