Paul and others said >> What if you can't make ICs any more? Or rather, what level of IC >> fabrication would it be possible to construct from scratch?
> For semiconductors, you'd start with machinery to make ultra-pure materials > (silicon, I'd assume). A Czochralski crystal growing machine to make > the cylinders of pure mono-crystal silicon from which wafers are sliced. > Polishing machinery. Wafer coating machines. Wafer steppers. Etching, > metal coating, diffusion, etc......... most of which also require very pure > and often exotic ingredients. (I remember being amazed to read that > chlorine trifluoride is used as a cleaner in the semiconductor industry. > Look up the properties of that compound, it will blow your mind.) Which brings to mind the amazing work of Sam Zeloof: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=zeloof+z1+chip
