Microprocessors manufactured locally - is it possible? Can anyone comment on the technical feasibility of decentralized microchip fabrication plants? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?13,85418,85418#msg-85418 Thu, 13 Aug 2026 23:10:30 -0400 Phorum 5.2.23 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?13,85418,90469#msg-90469 Re: Microprocessors manufactured locally - is it possible? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?13,85418,90469#msg-90469
Plastic microchip]]> Marcus Controllers Wed, 13 Jul 2011 13:53:59 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?13,85418,90460#msg-90460 Re: Microprocessors manufactured locally - is it possible? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?13,85418,90460#msg-90460 But as far I know the above configuration is a fairly standard sem configuration. So at best we would start here. And we would need a sem for any high integration work anyway.

The first major step here, as with metallicarap would be how we can construct a vacuum chamber. Everything else could be either scavenged (electron tubes, etc...) or built with regular 3 axis cnc.

I wonder what has been done in the field of self-built sems... They are around long enough that someone should have done that outside academia and industry....

As for the process itself, we wouldn't necessarily need something as far-out as carbon nanotubes. The process, Chemical Vapor deposition can easily be used to grow doped and undoped silicon in of any kind. Combine that with the ability to grow metal contacts we would have a complete system.

The problem is, we would most likely need multiple chambers, to accomplish this.

Well here it is, this fella built himself a sem pretty much from scratch:

[benkrasnow.blogspot.com]]]> ElectricMucus Controllers Wed, 13 Jul 2011 13:02:42 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?13,85418,90448#msg-90448 Re: Microprocessors manufactured locally - is it possible? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?13,85418,90448#msg-90448
Nanotechnology on ice]]> Marcus Controllers Wed, 13 Jul 2011 11:48:12 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?13,85418,89689#msg-89689 Re: Microprocessors manufactured locally - is it possible? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?13,85418,89689#msg-89689 With upcoming technologies, almost certainly - even to the point of total decentralization.

For example ice lithography, which can provide higher integration and reduced equipment cost.



This could even be a sidekick project to metallicarep at which point we would have reached total self replication capabilities.
Awesome stuff but there is a long way ahead, if we even make it.
]]> ElectricMucus Controllers Thu, 07 Jul 2011 12:28:12 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?13,85418,85447#msg-85447 Re: Microprocessors manufactured locally - is it possible? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?13,85418,85447#msg-85447
Si wafers -- You'll just have to buy those
Photo resist/developer-- ditto
Light source -- perhaps a scanned blue laser would work well enough for small scall integrated circuits
Optics -- grind your own ?? :)
Masks -- this is where it starts to get hard
Ion implantation for doping the transistor regions -- good luck with that
Metal vapor deposition -- probably not too hard with a vacuum chamber and a heating coil
Oven for growing SiO2 -- likely expensive but doable
wire bonding machine or some other way to connect to the chip -- reprap 2099?
Way to register layers on top of each other with sub micron accuracy -- if you get the optics and masks worked out

Probably some stuff I missed]]> bryanandaimee Controllers Wed, 01 Jun 2011 18:41:46 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?13,85418,85445#msg-85445 Re: Microprocessors manufactured locally - is it possible? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?13,85418,85445#msg-85445 bryanandaimee Controllers Wed, 01 Jun 2011 18:30:11 -0400 https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?13,85418,85418#msg-85418 Microprocessors manufactured locally - is it possible? https://reprap.org/forum/read.php?13,85418,85418#msg-85418 Marcus Controllers Wed, 01 Jun 2011 14:42:30 -0400