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An integrated circuit (IC) is a tiny electronic circuit with multiple components like transistors, resistors, and capacitors etched onto a single semiconductor chip, most commonly silicon. This miniaturization allows for smaller, cheaper, and more efficient electronic devices by combining many components into a single, compact package that can perform complex functions like processing data or storing information.

Key features and function

Integration: ICs combine a large number of electronic components, such as transistors, resistors, and capacitors, onto a single chip.

Functionality: They are the building blocks of modern electronics and can be designed to perform a wide range of functions, including processing, amplifying signals, or storing data.

Structure: The components are interconnected by a complex network of pathways etched onto the chip's surface, allowing electrical signals to flow between them.

Miniaturization: They enable the creation of much smaller and more affordable electronic systems compared to using individual components.

Types: ICs can be digital, analog, or mixed-signal, depending on whether they process discrete, continuous, or both types of signals.