Computer chip

IT is comprised of processing and memory units of a computer. The process of making a

computer chip should be done in a “clean room” because it is sensitive and even a small
problem could make the chip defective. A computer chip needs to be built out of a
semiconducting material. Most of these chips are indeed built with silicon even though
there are other possible materials
In general, materials for electronic devices are semiconductors. This is because you want to be
able to have a device that can switch between an on and off state at room temperature.

Metals conduct electrons so it would be hard to switch them off, and similarly insulators do not
conduct electrons, so turning them on would be equally difficult. Semiconductor materials have
properties in that sweet middle spot that's just right. Silicon is an example of such a
semiconductor. It is not the best electronic
Printed Circuit Boards, Computer Chips material, but it is good enough.
Silicon Si Quartz What element is mainly used
in chips for computers?
Chalcopyrite,
Boronite,
Enargite,  Silicon.
cuprite,
malachite, Why silicon?
azurite,
chrysocolla,
Cu - Copper Cu chalcocite  A computer chip needs to
be built out of a semiconducting
material, and most of these chips
Au - Gold Au Au
are indeed built with silicon even
though there are other possible
Ag,
materials.
Pyrargyrite,
Ag - Silver Ag Cerargyrite
 Silicon is actually not the
Tin Sn Cassiterite, most optimal electronic material,
but it is used instead of other
Al - Aluminum Al Bauxite materials with better electronic
properties because it is cheap and
extremely abundant. In fact, Si is the eighth most abundant element on earth. It's part of
what makes all of your electronics affordable. Silicon is readily available, all over the
world that you don’t need to import it from special African mines, or do months of
expensive and polluting treatment just to get some and it is easy to work with.
 Silicon is used because it can be used as either an insulator (doesn't allow electricity to
flow) or a semiconductor (allows a little flow of electricity). This is important for making
chips. Also, it is very, very cheap.
What is needed in order to produce a computer chip?

 In order to produce a computer chip, sand is needed. When we talk about the sand,
it is not pertaining to ordinary sand but “silica sand”. Silica sand is a type of sand
which comprised of silicon dioxide. Scientifically speaking, the term “sand”• is
an expression of a certain grain size — 0.063 to 2 mm, to be precise.

What mineral is mainly needed and Why?

 Quartz. Chip manufacturers use sand that contains as much silicon as possible.
The mineral quartz is ideal for this purpose because its two main components are
silicon and oxygen. Quartz is a very common mineral, present in many types of
rock; and sand often has high quartz content because it’s mostly pulverized rock.

Quartzite is metamorphosed sandstone. Quartz is the

most common oxide mineral. It has many uses, glass,
optics, sand for construction and building, part of
cement and plaster, is used as a building stone, pottery,
flux in metallurgical applications, has abrasive uses
and is the key ingredient in computer chips (silicon is
extracted from quartz).

How quartz is mined?

Most companies mine quartz as sand. People who mine quartz for crystals or as
gemstones either go with basic pick and shovel technology or go they mine it in
veins.
In some places the use of explosives to open up a vein is possible but usually the
better material is in small pockets that, because explosives can shatter crystals,
are best opened and cleaned out by hand.

Our conclusion whether what type of mineral deposit is the mineral used in
creating a computer chip.
We conclude that quartz is an ore deposit since it is mined and economically useful and
we think that it can also be a type of placer mineral deposit. Quartz can be broken or
weathered into the tiny piece we know as sand, and that is why we conclude that it is a
type of placer deposit. It is clear that the quartz in sand and most sedimentary rocks has
been concentrated by erosion and weathering of other rocks and that is why as a final
conclusion, we conclude that the type of mineral deposit used in creating a computer chip
is a placer deposit since first of all, the used material is a silica sand which we can say is
a sedimentary.

Hypothesis: “The Mineral Quartz Can be Useful in Making

Mobile Phones”
Why?
- Like a conductor leading an orchestra, quartz crystal units and oscillators produce a
steady clock signal for mobile phones and other devices.

Global implications of computer waste:

- The more new computer models produced, the more old models get
thrown out.
- Electronic waste is a global ecological issue. It raises concern about air
pollution, water pollution, soil pollution, information security, and even
human exploitation. Air can be polluted when scavengers burn electronic
waste to get the copper. If not disposed of properly, toxins from
electronic waste can enter the soil and water supplies.
-Because of the changes in technology and consumer demand, there is
hardly any device now that persists for more than a couple of years in
the hands of the original owner
-Electronics have always produced waste, but the quantity and speed of
discard has increased rapidly in recent years.
Should it be landfilled?
-This is problematic because the hazardous chemicals in electronic devices
could leach out of landfills into groundwater and streams.

Why computer waste is one of the

biggest issues facing the world?
It is one of the biggest issues facing the world because Electronic wastes
from computers are expected to increase as a significant amount globally.
Also, it has many toxic chemicals in it such as barium, lead, and mercury
which can cause many different health effects. Exposure to these chemicals
and others in e-waste has been linked to birth defects and organ, skeleton,
and nervous system damage. It has also been linked to changes in thyroid
function, decreased lung function, and changes in cellular expression and
function.

Even though that electronic waste contains billions of dollars’ worth of

precious metals and other valuable components, just 20 percent was
officially tracked and properly recycled in 2016, according to the new
report. The remaining 80 percent? It’s not consistently documented, and
most of it is likely dumped, traded or recycled in haphazard, potentially
harmful ways. When disposed of incorrectly, for instance by open burning,
e-waste can harm people and the environment.

There are hazardous chemicals in them that could leach out of landfills into
groundwater and streams. Burning the plastics in electronics can emit
dioxin. Out of 3.14 tons of e-waste generated in the U.S. in 2013, 1.87
million tons went into landfills and incinerators (60%) and only 1.27
million tons (40%) was recovered for recycling.