29,259 technical terms and definitions
process design kit, pdk explained, process design kit explained, what is a process design kit, pdk semiconductor, foundry pdk
A PDK, or process design kit, is the file package a foundry hands its customers so their chip designs actually work on that foundry's silicon: transistor models, standard-cell…
pellicle photomask, euv pellicle, what does a pellicle do, photomask protection
A pellicle is a thin, ultra-transparent membrane stretched over a taut frame and mounted just above the surface of a photomask, acting as a protective shield that keeps dust…
A phase-locked loop is a feedback circuit that continuously adjusts an internal oscillator's output so its phase and frequency stay locked to a reference signal, generating…
A phased array antenna is a system of many individual small antenna elements that combine their signals with precisely controlled timing offsets to electronically steer…
photomask explained, lithography mask meaning, how does a photomask work, euv photomask
A photomask is a precisely patterned plate — usually a sheet of quartz coated with an opaque chrome pattern — that lithography equipment uses like a stencil to project a chip's…
pixel, picture element, RGB, resolution, raster image, bitmap, vector graphics, SVG, PPI, pixels per inch, image file size, pixelated, how images work
A pixel (short for "picture element") is a single tiny dot of color, and it is the basic building block of every digital image and screen — a photo or display is simply a grid…
power management ic explained, pmic chip meaning, what does a pmic do, power management integrated circuit
A power management IC, or PMIC, is a dedicated chip responsible for taking a device's raw input power — such as a battery or wall adapter — and converting, regulating…
A power amplifier is a component placed near the end of a radio transmission chain that boosts a signal's power to the level needed to actually radiate over the air, taking…
A probe card is a specialized test fixture covered with many fine, precisely positioned needle-like contacts that touch a wafer's bond pads directly, letting automated test…
library, software library, code library, dependency, package, package manager, framework, reuse code, how libraries work, programming
A programming library is a collection of pre-written, reusable code that someone else has already built and tested, which a programmer can drop into their own program to get a job…
protocol, network protocol, communication rules, HTTP, SMTP, TCP, IP, HTTPS, protocol stack, layers, standard, how protocols work
A protocol is an agreed set of rules that two computers follow so they can communicate and understand each other — it is the shared agreement the internet, email, and web-browser…
QR code, QR, barcode, 2D barcode, quick response code, scan QR code, finder pattern, error correction, how QR codes work, camera scan, QR safety
A QR code (Quick Response code) is a square pattern of black and white cells that stores information as a picture a camera can read — it is simply a way of writing data, usually…
rdl chip packaging, rdl explained, what does rdl mean semiconductor, redistribution layer packaging
A redistribution layer, or RDL, is a thin layer of extra wiring built on top of a finished chip that reroutes its native connection points to new, more convenient locations…
A reticle is the physical glass plate carrying a chip layer's pattern that a lithography scanner projects onto the wafer — closely related to a photomask, but specifically…
A retimer is a chip that sits along a high-speed digital signal path and reconstructs the signal's original timing and shape from a degraded incoming waveform, extending…
rf front end explained, rf front end meaning, phone rf module, what does rf front end do
An RF front-end module is the collection of specialized components — including power amplifiers, filters, and switches — that sits between a device's modem chip and its antenna…
router, home router, gateway, modem, access point, network, packets, firewall, NAT, local address, how a router works, wifi router
A router is the device that connects your home or office network to the internet and directs traffic between them — it is the box the wifi and internet topics kept pointing to…
screenshot, screenshots, screen capture, screenshot vs screen recording, screenshot vs saving, capture screen
A screenshot is an image captured from content displayed on a computer, phone, or other device. It records a view of the screen at a particular moment, such as an error message…
wet scrubbing exhaust treatment, scrubber column design, gas absorption liquid treatment, acid gas neutralization fab, counterflow scrubber
A scrubber is the specific abatement technology that removes hazardous gases from process exhaust by passing them through a liquid — usually water, sometimes with added chemicals…
semiconductor explained, semiconductor definition, semiconductor vs conductor vs insulator, what is silicon used for
A semiconductor is a material — most commonly silicon — whose ability to conduct electricity sits between that of a true conductor (like copper) and a true insulator (like glass)…
chip ip core explained, ip licensing semiconductor meaning, what is ip core in chip design, processor ip licensing
A semiconductor IP core is a pre-designed, reusable block of chip circuitry — such as a processor core, a memory controller, or a communications interface — that a chip designer…
server, client-server, web server, database server, mail server, file server, data center, virtualization, load balancer, backend, how servers work, always on
A server is a computer whose job is to wait for requests from other computers and answer them — the word names a role, not a special kind of machine, so the same hardware…
Sidewall Spacer A sidewall spacer is material retained beside a patterned feature after a directional etchback or related formation sequence. Read the retained sidewall…
A small cell is a low-power, compact wireless base station that covers a much smaller geographic area than a traditional cell tower, deployed in dense clusters to boost network…
A solder bump is a small ball or dome of solder deposited directly onto a chip's own bond pad, used in flip-chip packaging specifically to create both the electrical connection…
gate spacer fabrication, self aligned source drain, anisotropic etch spacer formation, conformal deposition spacer, transistor spacer width
A spacer is a thin sidewall of insulating material formed against the edges of a transistor's gate, and it exists to precisely control where the source and drain regions begin…
spreadsheet, Excel, Google Sheets, cell, row, column, formula, function, SUM, cell reference, spreadsheet vs database, how spreadsheets work
A spreadsheet is a program that arranges data in a grid of rows and columns and can automatically calculate with it — programs like Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets — and it is…
Sub-resolution assist features, or SRAF, are extra shapes added to a photomask that are deliberately too small to print onto the wafer themselves, but which subtly reshape…
A standard cell is a small, pre-designed and pre-verified circuit block, such as a basic logic gate, that chip designers assemble by the thousands or millions from a shared…
soc explained, system on chip meaning, what does soc mean in phones, soc vs cpu
A system on chip, or SoC, is a single chip that combines multiple major components of a computing system — typically a processor, memory controller, graphics, and other…
systolic array explained, systolic array tpu, systolic array meaning ai, what does systolic array mean
A systolic array is a grid-like arrangement of simple processing units that pass data to their immediate neighbors in a steady, rhythmic pattern, allowing an AI accelerator…
chip tape out explained, tape out meaning semiconductor, what does tape out mean, chip design tape out
Tape-out is the moment a chip's design is finalized and sent off to a foundry for manufacturing — the point of no return in chip development, after which making changes means…
terminal, shell, command line, command prompt, bash, CLI, console, command line interface, typing commands, how the terminal works
A terminal is a text-based window where you type commands to the computer and read back text results, instead of clicking buttons and icons — it is the tool…
text editor, plain text, code editor, IDE, syntax highlighting, word processor, source code, notepad, vs code, how text editors work
A text editor is a program for creating and changing plain text — text with no hidden formatting, just the raw characters themselves — and it is the basic tool for writing…
tsv explained, through silicon via meaning, tsv chip packaging, what does tsv stand for
A through-silicon via, or TSV, is a microscopic vertical electrical connection drilled directly through a piece of silicon, allowing signals to pass straight up and down between…
tensor processing unit explained, tpu vs gpu, tpu meaning ai chip, what does tpu stand for
A TPU, or Tensor Processing Unit, is a type of AI accelerator chip designed specifically to speed up the tensor math — large-scale multi-dimensional array operations — that…
transistor explained, how does a transistor work, transistor switch, cmos transistor basics
A transistor is a tiny electronic switch that can flip between "on" and "off" billions of times per second, and it is the single building block that every modern chip is made…
turbo pump semiconductor fab, high vacuum pump explained, staged vacuum pump down, plasma chamber vacuum requirements, molecular flow vacuum pump
A turbomolecular pump is the workhorse vacuum pump that gets a process chamber down to the extremely low pressures nearly every fab process covered in this series actually…
URL, web address, link, scheme, protocol, https, domain name, path, query string, parts of a URL, how to read a URL, phishing URL, how URLs work
A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the full web address you type or click to reach a specific page — it is the complete set of directions that tells your browser, the client…
username, usernames, user name, user names, login name, username vs display name, username vs email, Ubuntu username
A username is a name that a computer system uses to identify an account. For example, a person might sign in to a learning website as `maya27`. The username tells the website…
What is a vector database, in simplest practical terms? It is a specialized database purpose-built specifically to efficiently store and search extremely high-dimensional…
vector processing explained, vector processor vs scalar, simd vector processor meaning, what does a vector processor do
A vector processor is a type of processor built to apply the same single operation to many data elements at once, rather than processing one value at a time — a design well suited…
A voltage-controlled oscillator is a circuit that generates an oscillating output signal whose frequency changes in response to an input control voltage, making it a core building…
VPN, virtual private network, encrypted tunnel, VPN server, privacy, public wifi, ISP, change location, remote access, is a VPN anonymous, how a VPN works
A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a service that creates a private, encrypted tunnel between your device and a server run by the VPN provider, so that instead of your internet…
silicon wafer explained, semiconductor wafer meaning, wafer fabrication, what is a die vs wafer
A wafer is a thin, round slice of ultra-pure silicon — typically about 300 millimeters across on modern production lines — that serves as the base material on which an entire…
what is WAT semiconductor
A wafer acceptance test, or WAT, is a standardized set of electrical measurements taken on special test structures scattered across a wafer to confirm the underlying fabrication…
web browser, browser, Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, rendering engine, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, how a browser works, client, cookies, sandbox, tabs
A web browser is the program you use to visit websites — Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge are the common ones — and its core job is the one the how-the-internet-works topic…
fab exhaust treatment, thermal abatement vs catalytic, hazardous process gas treatment, wet scrubbing vs abatement, greenhouse gas fab exhaust
Abatement is the treatment of a fab's process exhaust before it ever leaves the facility, and it exists because nearly every reactive chemical process covered throughout this…
subtractive interconnect process, aluminum vs copper interconnect, chlorine plasma etch aluminum, metal wiring fabrication, aluminum etch profile
Aluminum metal etch is the process step that patterns aluminum wiring into the precise interconnect shapes a chip design calls for, and it represents an older interconnect…
ai accelerator chip explained, ai accelerator vs gpu, ai accelerator meaning, types of ai accelerators
An AI accelerator is any chip built specifically to speed up the math behind artificial intelligence — mostly large-scale matrix multiplication — rather than to handle…