integrated circuits projects

Artifact Silicon

Learn about the source, nature, and limits of silicon's physical properties and how future materials may address current technology limitations.

Multi-Core Manager

Visitors play the role of a type of "task manager" processing a flow of data using historical, current, and future chips.

Leap Ahead

The visitor learns the implication of Moore's law and plans a business based on future computing ability.

Why chips are hard to design

What does a chip do--send data over pathways and operate on that data--and why is it hard to make a good chip?

Immersive Room design

Visitor gets a sense of the scale of IC fabrication through a 'scaled' built environment

Laser zapping ON/OFF

Spinning wheel causes laser to flash ON/OFF and that speed is compared to chip processing ON/OFF.

The Big Switch Transistor

Visitors touch and interact with a model of the original transistor, to understand the basic measuring unit in chip manufacture.

Brain to Brain

Chip processing speed is compared to brain processing speed.

Speed of a processor (hand-wave comparison)

This project is designed to give the particpant measure of processor speed when compared to their own reaction time in secs.

Microchips in the world

This project will be based around "Google Earth" with many points on the planet hilighted because of their relationship to microchips.

Transistor Unit (visual ascii and binary)

The use of transistor as an on/off, binary 1/0 will be demonstrated as it has become the building block of I.C's in its application as a digital device.

Parts of a Chip (kiosk mounted)

This project will in one scenerio, show how entered data flows through the chip - From the moment the participant enters data (It could be simple as adding two numbers), the user/participant will also be able to select the area corresponding to the chip to get detailed explanation of the function of that part of the chip.

Explore the Chip (mounted on Exhibition Display Unit)

Large size interactive with buttons representing parts of the chip. Team submitted design by Matteo and Birgit.

Transistors as Switches

To illustrate the fact that transistors function mainly as switches in microchips.

Computers are made of Transistors

To show that an entire computer is made out of transistors.

Transistor=TRANSmitter+reSISTOR

To show the dual roles of a transistor in transmitting and resisting electric current.

In the blink of an eye

To show the amazing performance of modern microchips, what they could do in the short period of time of our eye blinking action.

CPU simulator

A CPU is made of units that carry out very simple mathematical operations. By cascading millions of these, a CPU drives the computing experiences we are familiar with, like playing games, watching movies and communicating over the Internet. This exhibit strives to connect the dots in this picture by showing the activity on a chip for tasks we do everyday. The visitors will experience how simple computing operations like skipping a song cause massive activity in the chip.

Electrons in Motion

To show how we can use the remarkable behavior of electrons in solids, like silicon, to create a very small, very fast switch (a digital transistor).

Electrons in motion - materials

Additional materials uploaded for http://thetechvirtual.org/projects/integrated-circuits/integrated-circuits-projects/electrons-in-motion

Explore the fascination - Claudia Rupp and Tobias Wilhelm

The visitors are the electricity which flows through the chip and the transistor unit.

The Macrochip

To represent average people an easy way to learn how a microchip works by using visual and kinesthetic learning. A giant microchip known as "The Macrochip" achieves this goal. Using today's electronics to compare to Microchip technology is involved. Plasma television and speakers will provide an example to show how, no matter how casual things are, microchip technology are in them. This exhibition shows a way to be environmentally friendly by having a solar pane on it.

Computers vs. Human Brain ... and the winner is?

Comparison of processing power and efficiency of artificial and organic systems. Part 1: Computer evolution. ENIAC to modern microchip computing. Part 2: Comparison to the human brain. ENIAC parameters, including dimensions, weight, speed compared to the human brain.

Are you faster than a processor?

"Speed of Processor" This exhibit could compare a human action with the speed of a chip. Allow the visitor to experience

On the Head of a Pin

Using block models, can you assemble these transistors-in-the-making in the correct order of fabrication? Once in the correct order, they will create a connection and ‘power’ the computer.

Less is More

Step through time to see how the application of Moore's Law has made transistors, and the products that contain them, so much smaller and yet faster.

Make-a-Wafer

Test your knowledge of silicon as you try to create your own wafer.

Transistors: the key part in all electronics!

Creating a hand-on model of a transistor to explain it's function and importance.

Puzzle Movement - Circuits

This project has a picture of a silicon chip imposed on a simple puzzle that you must compete against the computer to solve.