Hey MadDog,
It's not just you, a lot of us get our silicons and silicones confused...
That little "e" makes a big difference!
Quote:
Originally posted by MadDogMe
Sorry dude, obvious to you(and half the world maybe  ), but I always equate silicone with tube or sealant and the cores not made out of either of those is it?...
|
Silicone refers to silicone tubing (Siloxane polymers and amorphous silica) and silicone RTV sealants, etc. And no, CPU cores are not made out of silicone.
Quote:
|
Now can you tell me whats in the core?, is it layered?, or is it one 'lump'?. what is it there for if it contains no 'curcuitry'?.is it there to protect something underneath?. I'm wondering if it can indeed be engraved with channels for direct die cooling?, and how deep if yes?...
|
The CPU (and other integrated circuits) are built up on a silicon substrate in many layers. Photolithography, etching, masking, doping, etc., etc. Newer chips contain various varieties of doped silicon to make all the semiconductors (P-types and N-types) and numerous copper or aluminum traces to connect things together. It is not possible to drill or engrave coolant channels in an existing chip but I beleive it may be possible to design them in, in the not too distant future.
Just think if you built a chip using diamond as the substrate instead of silicon! Fantastic thermal properties and some interesting optical qualities as well for a hybrid electro-optical 3D chip or cubit. Now that could lead to some serious number crunchin...
RoboTech