The Semiconductor and Electronics Industry: Obsolete Computers and the Environment
Throughout the 1960's and 70's, mainframe computers were expected to have long, useful lives. But with rapid advances in technology, and the phenomenal growth of the personal computer, yesterday's million-dollar computers are now only valuable as s...
The Metal Plating and Finishing Industry: Electroplating: Waste Treatment and Control
The processes of electroplating, anodizing and galvanizing produce several different wastestreams, including contaminated wastewaters, metallic sludges, and air emissions. In most plating shops, the bulk of the waste comes in the form of wastewater...
The Semiconductor and Electronics Industry: Microchip Fabrication and the Environment
Semiconductor fabrication requires an ultra-pure environment. Delicate components are washed and rinsed at each stage, making this a water intensive process. Semiconductor manufacturing is also a chemical intensive industry. Many companies are ac...
The Semiconductor and Electronics Industry: Microchip Design and Production
The complex circuitry of a microchip appears flat and one dimensional but, in reality, it can have as many as twenty layers. The starting point for what ends up looking like a miniature electronic city is pure silicon, grown from seed crystals. As...
The Metal Plating and Finishing Industry: Electroplating: Cleaning and Preparation
Preparation of the metal surface is the first step in the electroplating process. In order for solutions to properly contact the workpiece, that workpiece must be free of any oil or dirt. The choice of cleaning methods varies, depending on the typ...
The Semiconductor and Electronics Industry: History of the Microchip
The quest for a compact, solid state unit that could perform complicated operations quickly led to the development of integrated circuits (also known as semiconductors or microchips) in the early 1960's. The power of these microchips has increased ...