Allen, TX

Allen, TX-The technology for building what's claimed as the first electronic microcircuits on the surface of a 1-mm sphere is under development by Ball Semiconductor Inc. Several processes are necessary for the production of spherical semiconductors: diffusion, floating (the ability of the silicon sphere to travel within hermetically-sealed tubes without touching the sides), ultra high-temperature processing, deposition, spherical lithography, 3D VLSI design, clustering and etching. The firm conducted characterization testing of a metal-oxide semiconductor diode and a P/N junction diode built on the surface of a sphere to prove its diffusion, deposition, high-temperature and floating processes. The next steps, according to the company, will be to build ICs on a 1-mm sphere.