Monolithic Integrated Circuits

Abstract

A monolithic integrated circuit (IC) is a complete circuit or group of circuits manufactured in a single piece of silicon, a typical physical size being 1.25 mm square (or about fifty thousandths of an inch square). Such a circuit may contain fifty or more components such as transistors or resistors. The word monolothic is derived from the two Greek words ‘monos’ and ‘lithos’, meaning single and stone, respectively. The word ‘monolithic’ implies that the circuit is manufactured within a single crystal. This type of integrated circuit is sometimes described as a planar IC, since it takes the form of a flat surface.