I

IC

Integrated Circuit. Plural: ICs (no apostrophe). See integrated circuit.

IGBT

Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor. A four-layer discrete power device that combines the characteristics of a power MOS transistor and a thyristor. IGBT devices are usually found in high-voltage circuits (above 300V) because they can be prepared with significantly lower values of R_DS(on) than a power MOSFET with the same die size. Also referred to as "COMFETs," "GEMFETs" and "IGTs". Intersil is the inventor of the basic IGBT mechanism, and is a world leader in advanced IGBT technology. See here for R_DS(on).

IGFET

Insulated Gate Field Effect Transistor. See MOSFET.

ILM

In-Line Monitor.

image processing

The use of computers and sophisticated mathematical algorithms to analyze, enhance, and interpret digitized images.

IMPReSS

Integrated Manufacturing Production Resource Scheduling System. An Intersil software tool that produces production plans based upon customer demand forecasts and manufacturing capabilities. The system was developed by Intersil to integrate forecasting, material procurement, planning, and order-entry processes as they relate to worldwide manufacturing requirements. Customer delivery dates are generated interactively and are based upon a global manufacturing production plan.

impurity

In semiconductor technology, a material such as boron, phosphorus or arsenic added in small quantities to a crystal to produce an excess of electrons (donor impurity) or holes (acceptor impurity). Also called "dopant".

input/output

See I/O.

insulator

A material that is a poor conductor of electricity or heat, and used to separate conductors from one another or to protect personnel from active electrical devices. Examples: silicon dioxide (glass), silicon nitride, rubber, ceramics, wood.

integrated circuit (IC)

An electronic circuit in which many active or passive elements are fabricated and connected together on a continuous substrate, as opposed to discrete devices, such as transistors, resistors, capacitors and diodes.

Intelligent Discrete^TM

A power MOSFET that contains more than one active element or that allows non-intrusive current monitoring. Intersil intelligent discrete devices, for example, provide current-limiting and thermal-limiting functions to conventional power MOSFET capabilities. See MOSFET.

Intelligent Power IC^TM

A circuit in which power, logic and analog functions are integrated on the same semiconductor chip. Intersil has an extensive library of general-function standard cells that are used to fabricate such circuits.

interconnection

The conductive path required to achieve connection from one circuit element to others in a circuit.

I/O

Input/Output. Generally refers to the external connections of an IC that tie it to the outside world. Supply pins and control pins are usually not considered I/O.

ion

An atom that has either gained or lost electrons, making it a charged particle (either positive or negative).

ion implantation

A means for adding dopants to semiconductor material. Charged atoms (ions) of elements such as boron, phosphorus or arsenic are accelerated by an electric field into the semiconductor material. Especially useful for very shallow (<1µm) distributions of dopants in a semiconductor. Ion implantation is usually done at room temperature, with the resulting implantation-induced lattice damage removed by annealing at temperatures of approximately 700^{oC. More precise than diffusion doping.}

IYM

Integrated Yield Management. See yield.

IYV

Integrated Yield Vehicle. See yield.