A small piece of silicon on whose surface a complete circuit or logic function has been produced (by depositing other substances or by doping). Silicon is used in the electronics industry as a base material for integrated circuits (ICs). It is grown as a long crystal which is then sliced into wafers before being etched or treated, producing several hundred chips per wafer. Other materials, such as germanium or gallium arsenide, are also used as a base for ICs.
