Experimental hybrid integrated circuit produced at CRNL

Artifact Number:

2019-111

Description

The early 1970s saw the transition from electronic circuits, with discrete components such as transistors, resistors and capacitors individually soldered to circuit boards, to integrated circuits where components were printed directly on silicon chips. Real L’Archeveque, Branch head of the Electronics Branch at CRNL began a program for the production of hybrid, integrated, circuits (HIC) where semiconductor devices (transistors, diodes and fully integrated circuits) are bonded to a substrate, which has passive components such as resistors and capacitors formed on the substrate. This hybrid circuit, which is a square 35 mm on a side, was one of the first units developed at CRNL. It was intended to serve as stepping motor controller. The unit was manufactured to fit into a 20 pin socket.

Details

Keywords:

microelectronic circuits

Date:

~1973

Notes:

The field of integrated circuits grew exponentially during the 1970s and was quickly taken over by the giants of the electronics market, who were able to invest billions of dollars in the research and development of the components. AECL recognized that it would be a very small player in this arena and very few useful ICs were developed before the program was terminated.

Personnel involved with the program at CRNL, in addition to Real L’Archeveque, were Al Winter, Roy Martin, Mike Smith and Murray Sell. Equipment installed at CRNL included a screen printer, an ultrasonic wire-bonder, a resistor trimmer, a furnace for treating devices up to 1100 0C, a gray lab, a clean room and a probing station.