Computer chips are central components that allow all types of computers, no matter how big or how small they may be, to function. By definition, a computer chip is a small piece of semiconducting material that is used to make an integrated circuit.
Every computer chips used today is made up an electronic circuit that is imprinted inside a semiconductor material, most commonly silicon, that has the ability to conduct electricity at room temperature. Most computer chips are very small and each one contains electronic devices that help the machine into which they are embedded operate. In computers, chips are commonly found together on electronic circuit boards.
The creation of computer chips begins, most commonly, with silicon that is formed into large, thin sheets before being cut into thin, wafer-like pieces. Those smaller pieces are then polished and coated with photo resist, a special protective liquid that allows circuits to be imprinted on each chip. The imprinting is done by a special object similar to a stencil that is placed above several lenses that serve to shrink its image to the size of a chip. Ultraviolet light is then shined through the stencil and its image is burned onto the chip. After a thorough cleaning, the chip is ready for use.
Throughout history, computer chips have been made from vacuum tubes, steel and aluminum and even a material called germanium. While the majority of computer chips today are still made of silicon, researchers are experimenting with making chips from graphene, which is used in pencils.