Guden Oden said:Apart from denoting that the design phase is finished and getting ready for sample production as Andy already explained, it also refers to the actual printing/engraving or whatever of the photo-masks that will be used when etching the silicone wafers that'll be the basis of the chips themselves. These masks obscure light from reaching photosensitive materials depositied onto the wafer, thus creating areas that'll react differently when treated with the acidic etching fluid (getting eaten away, or remaining in place). Different masks create different patterns in stages (quite many, it seems), making up the transistors (and possibly resistors, capacitors) of the chip until it is all finished. Metal is also vapor-deposited onto the wafer in stages, to create the electrical connections between transistors. Or something like this anyway, it was a long time I read about this kind of stuff so I may not remember all of it correctly.
Anyway, these days there's lengthy articles to study on the subject of CMOS semiconductors at wikipedia, so head over there if you want to know more.
Holy crap that sounds complex. Makes you wonder why 9 out of 10 boards aren't faulty
Anyway thanks for your response, Guden and Andy.
