Many materials are needed to make a tiny chip

2002/11/04 Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana - Elhuyar Zientzia

• Teknologia
• Ingurumena

The research has been conducted at the United Nations University of Tokyo, with data drawn from the report on the United Nations Environment Programme of the U.S. Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation. and an anonymous electronic company.

The raw material for chip making is silicon dioxide, usually sand. The researchers have added all the chemical materials used in the manufacture of microchip with silicon dioxide sand with a memory of 32 MB, as well as fossil fuel, and first of all it takes 160 times more energy than necessary to obtain appropriate silicon for the manufacture of chips. Thus, in this step half of the energy used to make the chip is spent.

It seems that the material needs in the manufacture of the chips are mainly due to their small size and that the processing process must be very precise. Therefore, when making a chip it consumes 600 times more material than the one that weighs. To build a car you only need twice as much fuel as the weight of the car.

According to researchers, it is known that various materials used in chip manufacturing damage the environment, such as PCBs. However, few studies have been done on topics that are consumed and do not pollute to make chips, such as water. They also have effects on the environment. Researchers therefore believe that efforts should be made to reduce the use of raw materials for the benefit of the environment.