What Does It Take To Make A Cpu?

When you sit down at your computer, tap a few keys, and suddenly have all types of information pop up on your screen, it looks and feels just like magic. However, the magic that goes into making your CPU work as it does is due to many types of advanced engineering methods and state-of-the-art electronics. If you have ever wondered exactly what it takes to make a CPU, here are some facts you are sure to find fascinating.

Microscopic Microchips

In case you haven't noticed over the years, all types of electronics have gotten much smaller. This includes televisions, stereos, and especially computers. In fact, a CPU in use today cannot operate properly unless it contains microchips that are so small they are considered to be microscopic. While some of the chips and other parts are able to be made using 3-D printers and precision lathes, most will need to be made using more precise manufacturing methods.

Photolithography

Since even the most advanced 3-D printer will not be able to manufacture a part smaller than a micrometer, which by the way is one thirty-thousandth of an inch, you'll need to turn to Lithography Solutions, LLC for photolithography to make a CPU. Using light to etch an image onto a computer chip, photolithography lets the image be projected onto a silicon wafer, which is then coated with a photoresist material. Activated by light, the material washes away, leaving an etching that can be filled in with copper. This process is repeated multiple times, allowing the chip to be built up with layers, much like it would have been done with a 3-D printer.

Packing the CPU

Once all the chips are ready, all the internal parts of your CPU need to be packed together into the body of your computer so that you can actually have a keyboard, screen, and other components that will make your CPU a reality. To do this, the CPU die will be mounted to a silicon board, with electrical connections being run to all the pins that connect the CPU to the motherboard. Some companies, like Lithography Solutions, LLC, know that in most CPUs, this will mean thousands of pins. An integrated heat spreader will also be mounted on top, which will help protect your CPU from overheating.

Now that you have a better understanding of some of the basic steps involved in the making of your CPU, it may seem as if some of the mystery is now gone. However, when you sit down and Google a few questions, chances are you will still be amazed at how all those microscopic transistors work together to create online magic.