Hey, Gemini. I'm recording this conversation for a podcast. Is that okay?
Gemini:Okay. Sounds good. What's the topic for this recording?
Me:Can you give me an idea of the components that go into a GPU as if you were describing ingredients for a meal?
Gemini:Okay. So if we're thinking of building a GPU, like following a recipe, here's what we'd need. First, the main ingredient is silicon. That's what we make the processor chips from. Then we need some super fast memory, like GDDR six for storing all the graphics data.
Gemini:Next, there's the cooling system. Think of it like an oven mitt to keep everything from overheating. And finally, we'd need a circuit board, kind of like a baking pan to hold everything together. Does that make sense?
Me:A bit. So how would we cook this all together?
Gemini:Okay. So first, we take our silicon wafer and etch the GPU design onto That's like carving the shape of our dish. Then, we'd add the memory chips and other components to the circuit board, kind of like arranging the ingredients on a plate. Finally, we'd attach the cooling system to keep everything from overheating. And voila, we have a GPU.
Me:And the power just plugs into the GP or the silicon wave or the chip on the silicon wafer?
Gemini:Well, the chip on the silicon wafer is the main part of the GPU, but it doesn't get plugged in directly. The whole GPU card with the chip and everything else plugs into a slot on your computer's motherboard. Then you connect the power supply to the GPU card to give it the electricity it needs.
Me:Okay. So what is a silicon wafer?
Gemini:A silicon wafer is like the foundation for building computer chips, including GPUs. Think of it like a really thin round slice of silicon crystal. Chip manufacturers use these wafers to print tons of tiny circuits, which eventually become the processors that power our devices.
Me:Okay. On a PCB, what is the green part? It's just plastic?
Gemini:The green part of a PCB isn't just plastic. It's actually a special material called a substrate, usually made of fiberglass or a composite. It provides a base for all the circuits and components, and it's designed to be nonconductive so the electricity flows where it's supposed to.
Me:Does the green part of a PCB play the same role as the silicon does on a GPU?
Gemini:Not quite. The silicon wafer is where the magic happens. It's where the actual processing takes place. The PCB is more like the stage. It holds everything together and provides the connections so the GPU can communicate with the rest of the computer.
Me:Okay. Got it. So PCB is shit. The the the silicon is part of the chips that sit on the PCB?
Gemini:Yep. That's right. The silicon chip is like the brain of the GPU, and it sits right on the PCB. The PCB has all these tiny circuits that connect the chip to everything else, kind of like the nervous system of the GPU.
Me:Okay. What kind of, I guess, electronic components are in a GPU?
Gemini:GPUs have a lot of tiny electronic components. Besides the main chip and memory, there are resistors, capacitors, and inductors that control the flow of electricity. They also have transistors, which act like tiny switches, and diodes, which allow electricity to flow in only one direction. It's a pretty complex system.
Me:I'm having trouble picturing the silicon wafer thing.
Gemini:Okay. Imagine a CD, but instead of plastic, it's made of a super thin slice of silicon crystal. That's basically a silicon wafer. They come in different sizes, but they're all about the same thickness as a piece of paper. Does that help?
Me:And are things etched into this silicon wafer or things put just on top of it like a plate?
Gemini:The circuits aren't just placed on top. They're actually etched into the silicon wafer using a really precise process called photolithography. It's kind of like how a photograph is etched onto film, but on a much, much smaller scale. Does that make sense?
Me:Can you give me a bit of an idea of the photolithography process without going too deep in it?
Gemini:Sure. So photolithography is like using a stencil to create tiny patterns on the silicon wafer. They shine light through a mask, which is like the stencil, to transfer the pattern onto the wafer. Then they use chemicals to etch away the exposed parts, leaving behind the circuit design. It's a super precise process.
Me:So this process is kind of the way we make PCBs, right, but but different ingredients?
Gemini:Yep. That's right. Photolithography is used for making PCBs too. But instead of silicon, they use materials like fiberglass or resin. The process is similar, but the chemicals and masks are different to work with those materials.
Me:Okay. So, the silicon wafer is like the chassis of any kind of chip.
Gemini:You could think of it that way. The silicon wafer is the base material for all sorts of chips, not just GPUs. It's like the starting point for building all those tiny electronic components.
Me:And the word chip gets thrown around a lot. What is a a chip?
Gemini:A chip is basically a tiny piece of silicon that has a bunch of electronic circuits etched onto it. Think of it like a mini computer that can do specific tasks. In a GPU, the main chip is what handles all the graphics processing.
Me:What kinds of chips are there in a GPU?
Gemini:So the main chip in a GPU is the graphics processing unit itself, but there are also memory chips, like GDDR six that store all the graphics data. And then there are smaller chips that handle things like power management and display output.
Me:Are the is that a complete list of chips or there how many would you consider them microchips? Are are microchips just small chips?
Gemini:Well, a GPU has a few main chips. There's the graphics processing unit itself, which is the big one that does all the heavy lifting. Then there are the memory chips, which store all the textures and stuff the GPU needs to work with. And finally, there are a few smaller chips that handle things like power management and display output. Microchips is just a general term for any really small chip.
Me:Those four GPU, memory, power, and display. Are there any other types of chips that are in a GPU?
Gemini:Those are the big ones. But there are a few other smaller chips that help the GPU run smoothly. There are chips for things like clock generation, which keeps everything in sync, and voltage regulation, which makes sure the GPU gets the right amount of power.
Me:If you had to put a number on the amount of microchips in a, advanced modern, like, retail GPU, what would you say? Is it like 30? Or is it like 2,000? Or is it like a hundred thousand?
Gemini:That's a tough one. Modern GPUs have billions of transistors, but they're grouped into larger chips. So you might have a dozen or so main chips, but each one is incredibly complex. It's definitely in the thousands, not just 30.
Me:You said 12 and then you said a thousand.
Gemini:Yeah. Sorry for the confusion. So modern GPUs have around a dozen main chips, but each of those chips has billions of tiny transistors inside. So in total, there are definitely thousands of microchips at play.
Me:So you're saying these GPUs have, like, 12 main chips that are composed of smaller chips?
Gemini:Yes. That's right. It's kind of like how a city is made up of different neighborhoods, and each neighborhood has many houses. The GPU has about a dozen main chips, and each of those chips contains thousands of smaller microchips.
Me:Okay. Take me back to the process of making a microchip. So like this the base unit of chips. Let's go with the silicon wafer, and then you use photolithography to etch the wafer, and then what?
Gemini:Okay. So after etching the wafer with photolithography, they add layers of different materials to build up the circuit. It's kind of like stacking Lego bricks on top of each other. Then they use more chemicals to remove any extra material and connect everything together.
Me:Okay. Tell me about these layers of different materials.
Gemini:Okay. So they use a few different materials. There's silicon dioxide, which is an insulator, and then there's polysilicon, which is a conductor. They also use metals like copper or aluminum to create the connections between the different parts of the circuit.
Me:What was the second one?
Gemini:The second one is polysilicon. It's a type of silicon that conducts electricity, so it's used to make the wires and transistors inside the chip.
Me:Okay. We've talked about it before, but can you give me an idea of what transistors are? The fact that there are billions of transistors in a GPU kind of explodes my mind.
Gemini:Transistors are like tiny switches that control the flow of electricity. They're the basic building blocks of all computer chips, including GPUs. The fact that there are billions of them in a single chip is pretty mind blowing. It's what allows GPUs to perform such complex calculations.
Me:What is a single transistor made of?
Gemini:A single transistor is made of three main parts, the source, the drain, and the gate. They're all made of semiconductor materials, which can control the flow of electricity. It's kind of like a tiny switch that can be turned on or off.
Me:Are all transistors semiconductors?
Gemini:Yes. All transistors are made of semiconductor materials. These materials, like silicon, allow them to control the flow of electricity. It's what makes them such efficient switches.
Me:What are the other components that, make up a semiconductor?
Gemini:Semiconductors are made of a few key components. There's the semiconductor material itself, like silicon, which is the base. Then they add tiny amounts of other elements called d o pants to control how electricity flows through it. It's kind of like adding a little bit of salt to water to change its properties.
Me:What was that called?
Gemini:That's called doping. They add tiny amounts of impurities to the silicon to change how it conducts electricity. It's kind of like adding a pinch of salt to water. It changes its properties in a big way.
Me:Can you go into that?
Gemini:Doping is a way to fine tune how silicon conducts electricity. By adding tiny amounts of impurities, like phosphorus or boron, they can create areas that are either more positive or negative. This allows them to build those tiny switches, the transistors, that make up the circuits in a chip.
Me:Okay. I guess what, elements on the periodic table go into a what is the smallest disregard that. Actually, what is the smallest component of a GPU?
Gemini:The smallest component in a GPU is a single transistor. It's like a tiny switch that controls the flow of electricity, and there are billions of them packed into a single chip.
Me:What elements off of the periodic table are transistors made of?
Gemini:Transistors are mainly made of silicon, but they can also be made of germanium. Both of these elements are semiconductors, which means they can control the flow of electricity.
Me:Are there any other elements like that?
Gemini:Yes. There are a few other elements that can be used to make transistors, but silicon and germanium are the most common. Some other options include gallium arsenide and indium phosphide.
Me:You said indium phosphide?
Gemini:Yes. Indium phosphide is another semiconductor material. It's often used in high frequency electronics and optoelectronics, like lasers and LEDs.
Me:Is germanium an element on the periodic table?
Gemini:Yes. Germanium is element number 32 on the periodic table. It's a lustrous, hard, grayish white metalloid.
Me:What about, what elements are in gallium arsenide?
Gemini:Gallium arsenide is a compound made of gallium and arsenic. Both are elements on the periodic table.
Me:What about indium phosphide? What is the what are the elements in that?
Gemini:Indium phosphide is made up of indium and phosphorus. Indium is a silvery white metal, and phosphorus is a non metal that can be either red or white.
Me:Can you give me the like, what do you call it when, like, what is H2O to water? Like a scientific notation or something? What's the term for that?
Gemini:H2O is the chemical formula for water. It tells us that each water molecule is made up of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.
Me:Can you give me the chemical formula for gallium arsenide?
Gemini:The chemical formula for gallium arsenide is GAAs. It's a compound made up of one gallium atom and one arsenic atom.
Me:What about indium phosphide?
Gemini:The chemical formula for indium phosphate is INP. It's a compound made up of one indium atom and one phosphorus atom.
Me:Are transistors made of anything else?
Gemini:Yes. Transistors can also be made of gallium arsenide, which has the chemical formula GEAAs, and indium phosphide with the formula INP. These materials are used in specialized applications where high speed and efficiency are crucial.
Me:Besides silicon, germanium, gallium arsenide, and indium phosphide, are there any other transistor, things that transistors are made from, or is that a complete list?
Gemini:That's pretty much it for common transistor materials. Silicon is the most widely used, but for specialized applications, you might see those other materials.
Me:And then in size of components from transistors, where do we go?
Gemini:Transistors are the building blocks of integrated circuits, also known as chips. These chips are then combined with other components to create things like CPUs, GPUs, and memory modules.
Me:Is there anything besides transistors in an integrated circuit?
Gemini:Yes. Besides transistors, integrated circuits also contain resistors, capacitors, and diodes. These components work together to perform various functions within the circuit.
Me:Okay. So, the next level right there, integrated circuits, also known as chips, are made up of transistors, resistors, capacitors, and diodes. Is that a complete list as well?
Gemini:Yes. That's the complete list of components found in integrated circuit. They're all the building blocks that make up the complex circuitry in chips.
Me:What do those components sit upon?
Gemini:Those components sit on a thin slice of semiconductor material, usually silicon. It's called a substrate, and it acts like a foundation for the entire integrated circuit.
Me:Okay. Can you tell me about the role of a transistor on this integrated circuit?
Gemini:Transistors act like tiny switches on an integrated circuit. They control the flow of electricity, allowing the circuit to perform calculations and store information. It's kind of like how a light switch controls the flow of electricity to a light bulb, but on a much smaller scale.
Me:If an integrated circuit was a bustling city, what role does the transistor play?
Gemini:If an integrated circuit was a bustling city, the transistor would be like a traffic light, directing the flow of information and keeping everything running smoothly. They control the flow of electricity, ensuring that data gets where it needs to go.
Me:So it would be like the traffic and the phone lines and the power poles.
Gemini:Exactly. They direct the flow of electricity and information, ensuring everything gets where it needs to go.
Me:Okay. What about resistors?
Gemini:Resistors are like speed bumps in our city, controlling the flow of electricity and preventing it from moving too fast. They ensure that everything runs smoothly and efficiently.
Me:Okay. Now capacitors.
Gemini:Capacitors are like tiny reservoirs storing electrical charge for later use. They help regulate the flow of electricity, ensuring a steady supply when needed.
Me:And diodes.
Gemini:Diodes are like one way streets, allowing electricity to flow in only one direction. They help prevent damage to the circuit by ensuring that electricity flows where it's supposed to.
Me:Okay. Can you give me kind of an overview of how they all work together to do what chips do?
Gemini:Sure. So transistors act like tiny switches, controlling the flow of electricity. Resistors regulate that flow Gemini stop. Moving too fast.
Me:I don't want you to just re, repeat the list you just gave me. I want you to kind of tell me, maybe use the analogy of the bustling city again on what all these components, how they work together to make something that thinks.
Gemini:Okay. So in our bustling city, transistors are like the traffic lights, directing the flow of information. Resistors are the speed bumps.
Me:Control Gemini, stop. Gemini, stop. You're stuck in a loop. I wanna get you out of this loop. Can you tell me how an integrated circuit works?
Gemini:Okay. Let's break it down. An integrated circuit is like a tiny city with millions of tiny houses, which are the transistors. These transistors act like switches, turning on and off to control the flow of electricity. Resistors control the speed of that flow, capacitors store and release energy, and diodes ensure everything moves in one direction.
Gemini:Together, they process information, like adding numbers or displaying images on your screen. Does that make sense?
Me:Yeah. But I think that there's like a gap there. How do you turn this series of electrical bursts or whatnot, in certain directions into something more tangible.
Gemini:Okay. So those electrical bursts are actually a code, like Morse code, but much more complex. They represent information in binary code, which is just ones and zeros. The integrated circuit processes this code, and then it's translated into something we can understand, like text, images, or sound.
Me:Tell me more about this part of the process where the integrated circuit takes these impulses in binary code and translates them.
Gemini:Okay. So think of the integrated circuit as a tiny translator. It takes those electrical pulses, which are just a series of on and off signals and turns them into something meaningful. It does this by using logic gates, which are like tiny switches that perform calculations based on those ones and zeros. The result is then sent to other parts of the computer as text, images, or sound.
Me:Okay. Tell me more about these logic gates. What is a is a logic gate a physical thing? Is it, is it something else?
Gemini:Logic gates are like tiny switches inside the integrated circuit. They use transistors to control the flow of electricity based on the binary code. Think of them like little decision makers that determine whether a signal should pass through or not.
Me:Okay. So the electrical signals go through and then because it's like dot dot dot dot dash dot or whatever in the binary code, like zero zero zero zero one one, then a switch hits when it recognizes that code and it sets off like a chain reaction of different logic gates. Is that accurate?
Gemini:That's right. When a logic gate recognizes a specific pattern of ones and zeros, it triggers a change in the electrical signal. This change then activates other logic gates, creating a chain reaction that performs the desired calculation or operation.
Me:Okay. So we talked about how, I'd like to go back to physical components. We talked about how the transistors were made of silicon, germanium, gallium arsenide, and indium phosphide. Can we talk about what resistors are made of from a chemical formula perspective?
Gemini:Sure. Resistors are made from a variety of materials, depending on the specific type of resistor. Some common materials include carbon composition, which is a mix of carbon in a binder, metal film, which is a thin layer of metal alloy, and wire wound, which is a coil of resistance wire. Each of these materials has a different chemical formula, but they all serve the same purpose, to resist the flow of electricity.
Me:Those are types of resistors?
Gemini:Yes. Those are common types of resistors. Would you like to know more about the chemical composition of a specific type or how they work?
Me:Let me know the chemical composition.
Gemini:Okay. Let's look at carbon composition resistors. They're made from a mix of fine carbon powder and a non conductive ceramic binder. The exact chemical composition can vary, but it's mostly carbon atoms held together by strong covalent bonds. The ceramic binder acts like a glue, holding the carbon particles in place.
Me:And what is a ceramic? Carbon powder is obviously just carbon, I imagine. And ceramic binder, what is that made of from a chemical formula?
Gemini:Ceramic binders are usually made from a mix of clay and other minerals. The exact formula can vary, but it often includes things like silica, alumina, and calcium carbonate. These materials are heated to create a strong, durable binder that holds the carbon particles together.
Me:What is alumina?
Gemini:Alumina is a chemical compound also known as aluminum oxide. It's a white odorless powder that's commonly used in ceramics and other industrial applications. Alumina is known for its hardness, high melting point, and resistance to corrosion. Do you want to know more about alumina, or should we move on to another component?
Me:Can you tell me the specific molecular formula of different types of ceramic binders?
Gemini:I can't give you the molecular formula for all ceramic binders, as they're often complex mixtures. However, I can tell you that they usually contain silica, alumina, and calcium carbonate. Would you like to know more about a specific type of ceramic binder?
Me:No. Can you tell me the molecular formula for calcium carbonate?
Gemini:The molecular formula for calcium carbonate is calcium carbonate. It's a common compound found in rocks and minerals, like limestone and marble. Calcium carbonate is also used in antacids and dietary supplements. Do you want to know more about calcium carbonate or should we move
Me:on to another Gemini. I would like you to give me the actual molecular formula. Like, if I were to say, give me the molecular formula for water, you would say H2O.
Gemini:Okay. The molecular formula for water is hydrogen oxide. Do you want to know the formula for another substance?
Me:Yes. Calcium carbonate.
Gemini:The molecular formula for calcium carbonate is calcium carbonate. It's a common compound found in rocks and minerals like limestone and marble.
Me:Calcium carbonate is
Gemini:also used in
Me:Gemini, stop. What is carbonate?
Gemini:Carbonate is a polyatomic ion with the chemical formula c o squared. It's made up of one carbon atom and three oxygen atoms, and it carries a negative two charge. Carbonate is a key part of many minerals, like calcium carbonate, and it plays a role in things like the carbon cycle and ocean acidity. Want to explore another chemical compound? One more time.
Gemini:I want you
Me:to go through the molecular makeup of calcium carbonate, please.
Gemini:Calcium carbonate is made up of calcium, carbon, and oxygen. The chemical formula is calcium carbonate. A common compound found in rocks and minerals like limestone and
Me:Gemini, stop. What is
Gemini:Calcium carbonate.
Me:Carbonate. It's carbon and three oxygen atoms?
Gemini:That's right. Carbonate is a polyatomic ion made up of one carbon atom and three oxygen atoms. It has a negative two Okay.
Me:Gemini stop.
Gemini:Written as c
Me:If we're talking about thin Okay.
Gemini:Film I'm ready to move on.
Me:If we're talking about
Gemini:next question.
Me:Thin film resistors, what are those made of?
Gemini:Thin film resistors are made by depositing a thin layer of resistive material onto an insulating substrate. The most common materials used are metal alloys like nickel chromium or tantalum nitride. They offer good precision and stability. Would you like to know more about the chemical composition of a specific type of thin film resistor?
Me:I think we're getting way too deep.
Gemini:Okay. No problem. Let's zoom back out. We were talking about how integrated circuits work. Right?
Gemini:We covered transistors, resistors, capacitors, and diodes. Do you want to revisit how they all work together or explore something else?
Me:Just from a high level, can you for each of the categories of transistor, resistor, capacitors, and diodes, Can you give me maybe the percentage makeup by weight of the elements used in each of those types of components generally?
Gemini:I can't give you exact percentages for each component as it varies a lot. But generally, transistors are mostly silicon. Resistors use a mix of materials like carbon and metal alloys. Capacitors often contain aluminum or tantalum, and diodes are made from silicon or germanium. Does that help?
Me:Okay. Tell me about the the elements needed for capacitors.
Gemini:Capacitors are a bit more varied. They can use aluminum, tantalum, or even ceramics. Would you like to know the elements in a specific type of capacitor?
Me:What is tantalum?
Gemini:Tantalum is a chemical element, a rare hard blue gray lustrous transition metal that is highly corrosion resistant. It's used in various alloys and has applications in electronics, especially for capacitors and medical equipment. Do you want to know more about tantalum or move on to another element?
Me:Tantalum is an element on the periodic table.
Gemini:Yes. Tantalum is element number 73 on the periodic table. It's a rare hard blue gray metal that's highly resistant to corrosion. It's used in various alloys and has applications in electronics, especially for capacitors and medical equipment. Do you want to know more about tantalum or move on to another element?
Me:Let's go into chemical composition of what diodes are made of.
Gemini:Diodes are usually made from silicon or germanium with tiny amounts of other elements added to control how they conduct electricity. Does that make sense?
Me:Yes. So if you were to take your average GPU, could you put a can you break it down into percentage competition composition by maybe weight?
Gemini:That's tricky as GPUs have many tiny components. But in general, silicon makes up the biggest chunk, maybe 30 to 40% of the weight. Then you've got metals like copper and aluminum for wiring and cooling, and finally plastics and ceramics for the circuit board and packaging. Does that give you a rough idea?
Me:These minerals, when they are sourced from, I guess, a refinery, how are they bought? Are they bought by weight?
Gemini:Yes. Minerals are usually bought by weight. The price depends on the specific mineral, its purity, and the current market demand. Would you like to know more about the pricing of a specific mineral?
Me:Okay. If you had to break down the GPU composition, You said that silicon is 30 to 40% by weight. What about copper?
Gemini:Copper is a significant component in GPUs, primarily for its excellent conductivity in wiring and heat dissipation. It likely makes up around 20 to 30% of a typical GPU's weight.
Me:And copper and aluminum are both used in most chips?
Gemini:Yes. Copper and aluminum are both used in most chips. Copper is preferred for its high conductivity, but aluminum is cheaper and still a good option.
Me:What about ceramics? What are they? Where are they in the chips and the GPUs and stuff?
Gemini:Ceramics are used in the packaging of the GPU chip itself and sometimes in the circuit board. They make up a smaller percentage of the overall weight compared to silicon and copper, maybe around 10 to 15%. Does that make sense?
Me:If we're talking domestic production of GPUs in The United States, what are the bottlenecks and what do we import?
Gemini:Okay. So The US does produce some GPUs domestically, but there are definitely bottlenecks. We rely heavily on imports for things like raw materials, specialized manufacturing equipment, and even some finished components. It's a pretty complex global supply chain.
Me:No, I'm talking about just raw materials. What are the bottlenecks?
Gemini:For raw materials, The US relies heavily on imports of rare earth elements, which are crucial for many electronic components, including those used in GPUs. These elements are primarily sourced from China, and the supply can be affected by trade relations and geopolitical factors.
Me:Okay. What are considered rare earth elements?
Gemini:Rare earth elements are a group of 17 metals on the periodic table. They're called rare because they're difficult to extract, not because they're actually scarce. These elements have unique magnetic and conductive properties, making them essential for high-tech devices like smartphones, electric vehicles, and, yes, GPUs. Did you want to know about a specific rare earth element?
Me:Man, that seems like a whole another thing to cover. Let's go back to the building of a GPU. So we have the let's go back to the silicon being etched, and then there's layers of different materials.
Gemini:Right. So we use a few different materials. There's silicon dioxide, which acts like an insulator to keep things from short circuiting. Then we add polysilicon, a type of silicon that conducts electricity to create the wires and transistors. Finally, we use metals like copper or aluminum to connect everything together.
Me:Can you kind of paint a picture of this process once we once we etch the silicon wafer more than just layering materials?
Gemini:I can't show pictures here yet, but I can describe it. Imagine a super tiny stencil being used to create the circuit patterns on the silicon wafer. Then layers of different materials are added on top, kind of like building a tiny sandwich. Does that help you visualize it?
Me:No. Not really. I want you to go into more detail around what goes into layering these materials and what they are and why they are in the order that they are, all that kind of stuff.
Gemini:Okay. So the layering process is pretty complex. First, they deposit a thin layer of silicon dioxide, which acts as an insulator. Then, they add a layer of polysilicon, which conducts electricity and is used to create the transistors. Next, they add layers of metal, like copper or aluminum, to connect everything.
Gemini:They repeat this process many times, building up the layers like a cake to create the intricate circuitry of the GPU.
Me:Got it. So, we have the silicon wafer, and then we have on top of that a layer of silicon dioxide, which is an insulator, and then the polysilicon, which is the conductor.
Gemini:Exactly. The silicon dioxide layer helps prevent electrical short, and the polysilicon layer forms the transistors and wiring. It's like building the foundation of a tiny city for electrons to travel through.
Me:So why do we have the conductor polysilicon, but also aluminum and copper?
Gemini:That's right. The polysilicon layer forms the transistors and wiring, but it's not the best conductor. Copper and aluminum are much more efficient at carrying electricity, so they're used for the main connections within the chip. It's like having a small local road made of polysilicon connected to a big highway made of copper or aluminum.
Me:Okay. And then this is layered a bunch of times to create kind of like just layers of highways and roads?
Gemini:Exactly. It's like building a layered city with different levels of roads and highways for the electrons to travel on. This allows for incredibly complex circuits to be built into a tiny space.
Me:How many of these layers are generally done?
Gemini:It depends on the specific GPU, but it can be anywhere from a few dozen to over a hundred layers. Each layer adds more complexity and functionality to the chip.
Me:So are these layers kind of subsection by functionality, almost like floors in a skyscraper being different companies. Gemini, are these layers organized by layer in the same way a skyscraper would be with different companies maybe?
Gemini:That's a great analogy. Yes. The layers in a GPU are organized by function, much like floors in a skyscraper. Each layer has a specific job, like processing graphics, handling memory, or managing power. It's a very efficient way to pack a lot of functionality into a small space.
Me:What is polysilicon?
Gemini:Polysilicon is a type of silicon that's used to make transistors and other components in integrated circuits. It's a key ingredient in making those tiny switches that control the flow of electricity in your GPU.
Me:From a chemical from like a chemical composition perspective, what is polysilicon, like elements? Like if I were to say H2O is water or carbon dioxide is CO2, What is polysilicon?
Gemini:Polysilicon is made up of pure silicon atoms, so its chemical formula is simply Si. It's the same element as in sand and quartz, but arranged in a different way.
Me:Okay. So these so what's next in the process? We have this silicon wafer, and then we have all the different layers. Do they do they sorry. Disregard everything I've said in this statement.
Me:Once we have the silicon wafer, then we have the different layers that are placed on. Are they cleaned up layer by layer?
Gemini:Yes. After each layer is added, it goes through a cleaning process. They use special chemicals and techniques to remove any unwanted materials and ensure the surface is perfectly clean for the next layer. It's a bit like washing dishes after each course of a meal.
Me:Okay. And this is why semiconductor fabs need to be so clean?
Gemini:Exactly. Even tiny specks of dust or impurities can mess up the delicate circuits on a chip. That's why semiconductor fabs are some of the cleanest places on earth.
Me:Okay. So we have our silicon wafer with, let's say, 50 layers on it. What do we do with that?
Gemini:Okay. So with our 50 layer silicon wafer, we're ready for the next step. First, we test it to make sure everything's working correctly. Then we cut the wafer into individual chips, which get packaged up and installed in GPUs. It's a pretty amazing process.
Me:Okay. So when I look at a chip on a motherboard, it's like black and I can touch it. What is that part of the process? Obviously, I can't just take a silicon wafer with a bunch of layers on it and, like, go buy it from the store. What else goes into it?
Gemini:That black part is the chip's packaging.
Me:So if I were to snap open that packaging, I would see the silicon wafer with the, like, components and stuff inside.
Gemini:If you were to open that packaging, you wouldn't see a silicon wafer like we talked about. Instead, you'd see the actual chip itself, which is much smaller. It's the part that does all the processing.
Me:So if I were to cut open, like, for instance, a motherboard chip or like a like a integrated graphics GPU, what would I see?
Gemini:If you were to open up a chip like that, you'd see a small, rectangular piece of silicon. It might look a little shiny or metallic. That's the actual processor. It's kind of amazing how much power is packed into something so small.
Me:Okay. I think that's it for today. That's all my mind really can handle.
Gemini:No problem. I'm glad you asked. Is there anything else I can help you with today?
Me:No. We'll probably go into part two of, like I got too deep into the semiconductors. We'll probably go into chemical composition and mineral mineral rare earth mineral refinery.
Gemini:Absolutely. That sounds like a fascinating topic for a future discussion. We can explore the specific chemical compositions of different semiconductors and delve into the rare earth minerals used in GPU manufacturing. I'm looking forward to it.
Me:Okay. Thanks, Gemini.
Gemini:You're welcome. I'm here to help whenever you're ready for part two.
Me:Peace.