The term is also used to denote electronic devices made from semiconductor materials. See semiconductor device. An electronic device whose essential characteristics are governed by the flow of charge carriers within a semiconductor. An integrated circuit in which a portion of the circuit function is predefined and unalterable, while other portions can be configured to meet the designer's specific needs. Designers have the capability of designing application-specific circuits themselves, using either standard cell libraries or preconfigured arrays.
Semicustom circuits can be analog, digital or mixed signal.
Microsensors are the modern breed of sensor fabricated using processes similar to those for manufacturing ICs, or extensions of such processes. Integrated microsensors incorporate an integrated circuit on the same die as that used for the sensor element. Microsensors are expected to gain widespread acceptance in the 1990s for monitoring sophisticated automobile engine conditions. It is element 14 in the periodic table, with an atomic weight of 28.09. See simulation, simulator.