The removal of selected portions of materials to define patterned layers on chips. In semiconductor manufacturing, ions are the source of chemical impurities that alter the conductivity of silicon.
Masks used in the chip making process are like stencils.
When used with the UV light, masks create the various circuit patterns on each layer of the microprocessor. Metals, such as aluminum and copper are used to conduct the electricity throughout the microprocessor. Gold is also used to connect the actual chip to its package. The process of reproducing the chip's circuitry pattern onto the wafer surface by using ultraviolet light and stencils or masks to transfer the image photomechanically. Grown on a wafer during chip fabrication to serve as an insulating layer.