Wafer Fabrication is a procedure comprised of many repeated sequential processes to produce complete electrical or photonic circuits. Examples include production of radio frequency (RF) amplifiers, LEDs, optical computer components, and CPUs for computers. Wafer fabrication is used to build components with the necessary electrical structures.

A discrete device is an electronic component with just one circuit element. The term is used to distinguish the component from integrated circuits and hybrid circuits, which are built from several circuit elements in one package. It typically refers to semiconductor devices.

A monolithic integrated circuit (also known as IC, microchip, silicon chip, computer chip or chip) is a miniaturized electronic circuit (consisting mainly of semiconductor devices, as well as passive components) which has been manufactured in the surface of a thin substrate of semiconductor material.

A hybrid integrated circuit is a miniaturized electronic circuit constructed of individual semiconductor devices, as well as passive components, bonded to a substrate or circuit board.

The transistor is a semiconductor device that can be used for amplification, switching, voltage stabilization, signal modulation and many other functions. It allows a variable current, from an external source, to flow between two of its terminals depending on the smaller voltage or current applied to a third terminal. Transistors are made either as separate components or as part of an integrated circuit. Millions of individual transistors are known as discretes.

A solid-state substance that can be electrically altered. Certain elements in nature, such as silicon, perform like semiconductors when chemically combined with other elements. A semiconductor is halfway between a conductor and an insulator. When charged with electricity or light, semiconductors change their state from nonconductive to conductive or vice versa. The most significant semiconductor is the transistor, which is simply an on / off switch.

A wafer is a thin slice of semiconducting material, such as a silicon crystal, upon which microcircuits are constructed by diffusion and deposition of various materials.

A chip is a tiny piece of silicon with electronic circuits. The chip is the most important part of the computer.