Big Chemistry: Hydrofluoric Acid

For all of the semiconductor industry’s legendary reputation for cleanliness, the actual processes that go into making chips use some of the nastiest stuff imaginable. Silicon oxide is nothin…

Garage Semiconductor Fab Gets Reactive-Ion Etching Upgrade

It’s a problem that few of us will likely ever face: once you’ve built your first homemade integrated circuit, what do you do next? If you’re [Sam Zeloof], the answer is clear: bu…