DIY ICs

Vivek · 24th July 2002, 10:49 AM

Hi all,
How far do you guys think the day is when we DIYers will make our own ICs and possibly tweak ones that have already been made.

Vivek

gilid · 24th July 2002, 01:02 PM

Not to sound too negative, but I am a firm believer in the principle that our (DIY) efforts are best applied to where they will have the most gain. Until we have table top silicon foundries, I do not see DIY integrated circuits being realistically feasible. Unless someone in the group who works for a fab can moonlight for us...

Pehaps we can try casting our own enclosures & heatsinks in the meantime!

Vivek · 24th July 2002, 04:01 PM

Right-O Gilid and thanks.

Vivek

jackinnj · 24th July 2002, 04:44 PM

there were an entire series of articles on DIY op-amps in Audio Amateur. Not the kind you build with a 300mm wafer- the kind you build with your own discretes for better matching etc.

MRehorst · 24th July 2002, 08:05 PM

You can make your own analog ICs. You go to any of the many semiconductor foundries and hand them $50k-500k for a mask set (depending on the process) and all the CAD files and they will run a wafer of your ICs through their fab. Of course, this may be contingent on how many such wafers you intend to run through their fab per month...

Then you go to a packaging house and hand them a pile of money and they'll saw the wafer and package the parts for you. Of course, this may be contingent on how many such wafers you intend to run through their factory per month...

The IC manufacturing process is so expensive that the only way it makes economic sense is to make a lots of ICs (hundreds of thousands to millions). The process is not flexible enough to allow easy/inexpensive modification.

I have recently seen ads for analog"gate array" type chips that are one time programmable (I think). Instead of logic gates, they have analog function blocks that can be connected together. That is probably as close as you'll ever get to DIY analog ICs, until someone comes up with a new process you can run via your ink-jet printer...

MR

Vivek · 25th July 2002, 06:03 AM

Hi MRehorst,
You are talking big $$$. Not worth the trouble at this time.

Vivek

gromanswe · 25th July 2002, 06:20 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Vivek
Hi
You are talking BIG. worth the trouble?.

Vivek

g

gromanswe · 25th July 2002, 06:25 AM

Building an Microphone Pickup
I tweaked an OP in middle segment
to get very low noise intake.
It was 8 pin DIL/DIP single device!

Nice THREAD.
"Keep it CLEAN"
cheers VIVEK

gro

Vivek · 25th July 2002, 07:27 AM

Keep your comments coming guys. I believe amateurs are a bright lot whose talents are never really recognised.

Vivek

gromanswe · 25th July 2002, 08:01 AM

How is weather in BANGLADORE
tao day
yes tao day

my sport AIKIDO!

greetings
from
Sweden
Our king have a lovely Daughter

24th July 2002, 10:49 AM	#1
Vivek diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Bangalore, India	DIY ICs Hi all, How far do you guys think the day is when we DIYers will make our own ICs and possibly tweak ones that have already been made. Vivek

24th July 2002, 04:44 PM	#4
jackinnj diyAudio Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Llanddewi Brefi, NJ	But there were an entire series of articles on DIY op-amps in Audio Amateur. Not the kind you build with a 300mm wafer- the kind you build with your own discretes for better matching etc.

25th July 2002, 06:25 AM	#8
gromanswe Account Disabled Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: North	Tweak IC - possible? Building an Microphone Pickup I tweaked an OP in middle segment to get very low noise intake. It was 8 pin DIL/DIP single device! Nice THREAD. "Keep it CLEAN" cheers VIVEK gro

25th July 2002, 08:01 AM	#10
gromanswe Account Disabled Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: North	Weather in BanglaDore? How is weather in BANGLADORE tao day yes tao day my sport AIKIDO! greetings from Sweden Our king have a lovely Daughter

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24th July 2002, 01:02 PM	#2
gilid diyAudio Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: France	Not to sound too negative, but I am a firm believer in the principle that our (DIY) efforts are best applied to where they will have the most gain. Until we have table top silicon foundries, I do not see DIY integrated circuits being realistically feasible. Unless someone in the group who works for a fab can moonlight for us... Pehaps we can try casting our own enclosures & heatsinks in the meantime!

24th July 2002, 04:01 PM	#3
Vivek diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Bangalore, India	Right-O Gilid and thanks. Vivek

24th July 2002, 08:05 PM	#5
MRehorst diyAudio Member Join Date: May 2002	You can make your own analog ICs. You go to any of the many semiconductor foundries and hand them $50k-500k for a mask set (depending on the process) and all the CAD files and they will run a wafer of your ICs through their fab. Of course, this may be contingent on how many such wafers you intend to run through their fab per month... Then you go to a packaging house and hand them a pile of money and they'll saw the wafer and package the parts for you. Of course, this may be contingent on how many such wafers you intend to run through their factory per month... The IC manufacturing process is so expensive that the only way it makes economic sense is to make a lots of ICs (hundreds of thousands to millions). The process is not flexible enough to allow easy/inexpensive modification. I have recently seen ads for analog"gate array" type chips that are one time programmable (I think). Instead of logic gates, they have analog function blocks that can be connected together. That is probably as close as you'll ever get to DIY analog ICs, until someone comes up with a new process you can run via your ink-jet printer... MR

25th July 2002, 06:03 AM	#6
Vivek diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Bangalore, India	Hi MRehorst, You are talking big $$$. Not worth the trouble at this time. Vivek

25th July 2002, 07:27 AM	#9
Vivek diyAudio Member Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Bangalore, India	Keep your comments coming guys. I believe amateurs are a bright lot whose talents are never really recognised. Vivek

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