Semiconductor chips are the foundation for almost all modern technology. While they are so commonplace that they are often taken for granted, the semiconductor chip shortage has shown the harmful effects taking them for granted can have.
In this article, we will discuss the most common categorizations of semiconductor chips and expand on their uses. In the end, we will touch on the types of semiconductor chips that were the most affected by the shortage and what the future could potentially bring.
However, before we get to the different categories, let us start by quickly covering the properties of semiconductors in general.
What Is a Semiconductor?
A semiconductor is a material that controls the flow of electronic current. Its conductivity lies between a conductor and an insulator. The conductivity value can be manipulated by adding impurities into the material (called doping). These properties of semiconductor materials allow them to be the basis of all electronic devices.
Intrinsic and Extrinsic Semiconductors
Intrinsic semiconductors are materials that are made of only one type of element, i.e. there was no doping involved. Extrinsic semiconductors, on the other hand, are materials that were doped in order to manipulate their conductive properties. The type of semiconductor material used determines the property of a semiconductor chip.
Types of Semiconductor Chips by Functionality
The first categorization of semiconductor chips can be done based on the function the chip is intended to perform. If we are to take this approach, then there are 3 types of semiconductor chips:
- Microprocessors/logic chips
- Memory chips
- CIC chips
Microprocessors/Logic Chips
Microprocessors or logic chips process information that is used to complete the operation set by an electronic device. That is why they are commonly called the ‘brains’ of electronic devices. Logic chips can have a single or multiple CPUs (Central Processing Units). There are 5 types of microprocessors:
- 8-bit
- 16-bit
- 24-bit
- 32-bit
- 64-bit
8-, 16-, and 24- bit microprocessors are less powerful and needed to perform simpler operations. They are also called microcontrollers and are often found in vehicles and toys. 32- and 64-bit microprocessors are more commonly found in PC, smartphones, and tablets.
Graphic Processing Unit
Graphic Processing Units are a subtype of microprocessors that may or may not constitute their own category, depending on whom you ask. They are microprocessors optimized for rendering graphical displays. CPUs were used for rendering before GPUs, but the invention of GPUs allowed for more intensive tasks to be performed and the development of more complex devices.
Memory Chips
Memory chips are the second basic type of semiconductor chips. As the name implies, memory chips store data on a device. These can further be categorized into:
- DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) chips
- Flash chips
DRAM is the working memory of an electronic device that microprocessors use to perform tasks. It only operates while a device is working. Flash is permanent storage that saves information regardless of whether a device is on or off. To provide a simple example, Flash is the memory that stores a video on your PC, while DRAM is the memory that your PC utilizes to run the program that you use to watch that video.
Commodity Integrated Circuits
Commodity Integrated Circuits (CICs) are semiconductors chips utilized for repetitive processes. These can be further divided into:
- Application-Specific Integrated Chips (ASICs)
- System on a Chip (SoCs)
ASICs are used for single-purpose devices, while SoCs are more complex and have entire systems built into a single chip – they are essentially multiple chips integrated into one. These types of chips are produced in large quantities, mostly by Asian companies like the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company.
Types of Semiconductor Chips by the Input They Can Process
Another division of semiconductor chips can be into analog, digital, and mixed semiconductor chips, based on the information they can translate/convert and how they perform their operations.
Analog Chips
Analog chips regulate physical, ‘real’ intput, like temperature, sound, or electric current. They transmit analog information. In other words, an analog chip can read physical information like a human voice and convert it into information readable by a machine. Analog chips are often used for radio or video transmissions and as power supply chips.
Digital Chips
Digital chips process binary information (like 1 and 0 for computers). Digital chips are typically more complex than analog chips and have become the dominant form in the prior decades. Most complex electronic devices, like computers and smartphones, use digital chips.
Mixed Circuit Chips
A mixed circuit semiconductor chip is one that can process both digital and analog input. They can translate digital to analog information and analog to digital. Typically, they are digital chips with added analog functionalities. An example of a mixed circuit chip would be a sound sensor that converts that information into a digital format to be read by your smartphone.
Types of Semiconductor Chips by the End Use
Yet another categorization of semiconductor chips can be done based on the end use, i.e., the operations the chips need to perform. In accordance with this categorization, the types of semiconductor chips would be:
- Data processing chips;
- Chips in consumer electronics;
- Chips for industrial electronics;
- Wired and wireless communication chips;
- Automotive industry chips.
The Chips Most Affected by the Chip Shortage
In the current state of the chips shortage, microcontroller chips were the most affected, with the peak of the shortage hitting in 2021. There are indicators that analog chip demand will increase significantly in the near future, so, assuming the shortage is not resolved, analog chips may become the most affected type of semiconductor chip in the next few years.
Partstack’s editorial team is made up technical writers and engineering folks from around the world.
