ISLAMIZING THE SUBJECT:

ECE 6322:
INTEGRATED CIRCUIT TECHNOLOGY

GEN6000
VALUES, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY

Nurul Arfah bt Che Mustapha G0814740

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING

KULLIYYAH OF ENGINEERING
INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA
 Introduction

Compact, cheaper and mobility (faster) are the trend of today’s gadget. But, do we
know how the technology evolved has changed drastically from space-consuming,
expensive and weighty electronic items into a very compact, portable and space-
limited gadget. Thanks to the knowledge given by Allah the Almighty, we have been
able to use this technology to the betterment of our life. The daily needs such
computer, laptop, mobile phone, smart card, MP3 player, car, washing machine,
CCTV, camera, television and so on are actually built up or programmed in a single
chip that have a size of our thumb. Believe it or not these chips are made from
Silicon and it is found in rocks, sands, clays and soils1.In this paper we will discuss
the technology of creation of integrated circuit or microchip from the Integrated
Circuit Technology subject and relate it with the creation of Allah based from the
Quran and hadith.

1. Silicon
1
How Products are Made. How Products are Made. The Gale Group, Inc., 2002.

2
 As the second most common element on earth, silicon is a very useful
element that is vital to many human industries, and impacts much of
modern life as a principal component in glass, concrete and cements of
many kinds. Silicon based from root word silica means a clear substance
that exists in sand and other materials2, but when combined with other
substances it become silicon. It is used especially for making silicon chips.

1.1 Important of Silicon

According to the American heritage dictionary, silicon is the most affecting
lifestyle application and is use as the fundamental substrate in
manufacturing electronics integrated circuits such as computer chips, and
discrete active devices such as power transistors.3 And according to the
Wikipedia, elemental silicon is the principal component of most
semiconductor devices, most importantly integrated circuits or microchips.4
Thus silicon really gives a big impact to modern industry.

1.2 The benefit of Silicon

This creation of Allah surely gives us big benefit to mankind and it is up to
the man how to utilize it. None of the creation made by Allah is done without
purpose or benefit, only man does not realize it. Allah says in the Quran,

َ ‫عبثًا‬ َ َ َ ‫)أ‬
115(‫ن‬
َ ‫عو‬
ُ ‫ج‬ ْ ُ ‫وأنَّك‬
َ ‫م إِلَيْنَا َل تُْر‬ َ َ َ ‫م‬ ْ َ ‫خل‬
ْ ُ ‫قنَاك‬ َ َّ ‫م أن‬
َ ‫ما‬ ْ ُ ‫سبْت‬
ِ ‫ح‬
َ ‫ف‬

“Do you think we create you without wisdom and purpose underlying it?
And do you think that you will not return back to us?”5

Scientifically, silicon is widely used in semiconductors because it remains a

semiconductor at higher temperatures than the semiconductor germanium
and because its native oxide is easily grown in a furnace and forms a better
semiconductor/dielectric interface than almost all other material

2
Macmillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learners, International Student Edition, Oxford,
Bloomsbury Publishing Limited, 2002, p. 1330.
3
Dictionary. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Ed., Houghton
Mifflin Company, 2007.
4
Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicon
5
Al-islam.com, Saya Mestilah Muslim Di Sudut Aqidah, http://www.al-islam.com/articles/a
Rticles-m.asp?fname=Part1_Chapter1

3
 combinations.6 Silicon can easily be persuaded to be a conductor or an
insulator, which means that it can conduct electricity or not. Because its
melting point is the highest among any other semiconductor material, it was
chosen to be a platform for a wafer.

By this, we can be sure that Allah creates something such as Silicon has a
great benefit and He is the Best Creator of all as stressed in the Quran:

57(‫)ﳋﻠﻖ اﻟﺴﻤﻮﺕ ﻭاﻻﺭﺽ اﻛﺒ ﻣﻦ ﺧﻠﻖ اﻟﻨﺎﺱ ﻭﻟﻜﻦ اﻛﺜﺮ اﻟﻨﺎﺱ ﻻﻳﻌﻠﻤﻮﻥ‬

“Surely the creation of the heavens and the earth is greater than the
creation of men, but most people know not”7

A chip (not larger than a thumbnail), may be made of some 20 infinitesimally

thin layers and it is produce on wafers of silicon eight inches in diameter
with a wafer can have 100 to 600 chips per wafer.8 To understand more, we
must learn the knowledge technology of a chip or an IC.

1.3 Learn the Knowledge

The Integrated Circuit Technology is a fundamental subject that teach us the
technology of creation a chip (IC-Integrated Circuit) from its original form of
Silicon until it becoming an IC which undergo a multiple processes of
Crystal growth, wafer preparation, lithography, oxidation, epitaxy, etching,
diffusion, metallization and process simulation of oxidation, ion-
implantation, diffusion and epitaxy.

This is where man must learn and think as what the Prophet (PBUH) says:

‫ﺗﻔﻜﺮﻭا ﻓ ﺧﻠﻖ اﷲ ﻭﻻ ﺗﺘﻔﻜﺮﻭا ﻓ اﷲ ﻓﺈﻧﻜﻢ ﻟﻦ ﺗﻘﺪﺭﻭا ﻗﺪﺭﻩ‬

“Think of Allah’s creation and don’t think of who is Allah, verily you
will not know Him.”9

6
Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicon
7
[Al-Quran: Ghafir:57]
8
Jake Page, Making the Chips that Run the World, Smithsonian Magazine, 2000, p. 36.
9
Narrated by Abu Nu’aim in Al-Halyah and Al-Asbahani narrated from Al-Taghrib wa Al-
Tarhib.

4
 By learning these processes, we will be able to ponder and utilize the
creation of Allah (such are light, earth, oxygen, water and fire) that are very
useful to make a single chip and give a big impact to our modern life.

2. ECE 6322: Integrated Circuit Technology

Integrated Circuit Technology is a course study of building a chip or an IC.
The objectives of the subject is to learn the wafer preparation from crystals
growth, the process of oxidation, epitaxy, lithography, ion-implantation and
various techniques that is important in the technology of manufacturing an
IC. A clean condition is a common requirement for many processes in wafer
fabrication. All these processes are done under a very clean room.

2.1 The Processes

In general, there are three main processes before becoming a chip. Those are
Additive process, Subtraction process and Transform process. The process
of Epitaxy Growth, Deposition and Metallization process falls under Additive
process which is a thin film growth process. A Subtraction process is a
process of removing a material to form a pattern on a chip and this process
is consists of Optical Lithography, Non-Optical Lithography and Etching
process. While the final Transform process is a hot process that causes the
material to change its physical appearance. Diffusion, Thermal Oxidation,
Ion Implantation and Rapid Thermal Processing process falls under this
category.

2.2 The Wafer

Note that a single wafer which has a diameter of 8 inches can contain about
10 billion of components. And as the time progress, it will double as stated
by Moore’s Law:

“The number of transistors/chip will doubles every 2 years due in

large part to advanced materials processing methods!!”.10

10
Campbell, S. A., Chapter 1-Introduction Slide, New York, Oxford University Press, 2002, p.
4.

5
 As to compare with the population on the earth, the population is 6.7 billion
people for a diameter 13×106 m (8×103 miles) of this world.11

This is where the sunnatullah or a way of Allah takes place, the creation of
Allah will doubles or multiplied (more than we can imagine) as the time
progress. According to the Quran,

‫ﻳﺎﻳﻬﺎ اﻟﻨﺎﺱ ﭐﺗﻘﻮا ﺭﺑﻜﻢ اﻟﺬﻯ ﺧﻠﻘﻜﻢ ﻣﻦ ﻧﻔﺲ ﻭاﺣﺪﺓ ﻭﺧﻠﻖ ﻣﻨﻬﺎ ﺯﻭﺟﻬﺎ ﻭﺑﺚ ﻣﻨﻬﻤﺎ ﺭﺟﺎﻻ ﻛﺜﻴا‬

‫ ﻭﺗﻘﻮا اﷲ اﻟﺬﻯ ﺗﺴﺂﺀﻟﻮﻥ ﺑﻪ ﻭاﻷﺭﺣﺎﻡ ﺇﻥ ﭐﷲ ﻛﺎﻥ ﻋﻠﻴﻜﻢ ﺭﻗﻴﺒﺎ‬.‫ﻭﻧﺴﺂﺀ‬

“O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single

person (Adam), and from him (Adam) He created his wife [Hawwa
(Eve)], and from both He created many men and women; and fear
Allah from Whom you demand (your mutual rights), and (do not cut
the relations of) the wombs (kinship)*. Surely, Allah is Ever an All-
Watcher over you.”12

Allah, created multitudes of men and women and spread them throughout
the world for their appointed terms. People come and go and this process
will continue until the end of time. As the time progress, this world will filled
with human beings and sometime up to 4 generation of families are there (if
Allah’s will give a human long life to live). So to the chips, as the time
progress, the wafers are getting smaller and transistors or interconnection
on the chips also become nano in size. This will give benefit to human life as
the space is becoming limited as to compare to the 20 years back.

2.3 Preparing the Wafer: Crystal Growth

The most important, first and basic concept before an Epitaxy (growing)
process of an IC/chip creation is to produce a wafer (from Silicon) which

11
Campbell, S. A., Chapter 1-Introduction Slide, New York, Oxford University Press, 2002, p.
10.
12
[Al-Quran: An-Nisa:1]

6
 later the design process of an IC is take place on the wafer. This process of
preparing the wafer is called a crystal growth.

The creation of human beings is an amazing thing. Allah first created Adam
from clay and from him He created his wife Hawwa (Eve), and from them He
created many men and women.13

Here we can see some similarities in the creation of human being to the
silicon which is the silicon are found in rocks, sand, clays and soils. 14 This
simple element but have a very big impact to human evolution is the second
most abundant element on earth (after oxygen) in the crust on.15 But,
according to Sci-Tech Encyclopedia, Silicon is the most abundant
electropositive element in the Earth's crust16.

The Qur’an describes in detail the creation of Adam and Hawwa and the
reason for their expulsion from Paradise to Earth along with Satan. Then
Allah sent His Messengers and Prophets to guide mankind to believe in
Allah, worship Him alone and believe in His Messengers. Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH) has been sent to all mankind and the Qur’an was
revealed to him and it is up to the mankind to follow the righteous path as
they are born on al-Fitrah (a true faith).

As narrated by Abu Hurairah (RA) in the Sahih al-Bukhari, the Prophet

(PBUH) said:

‫ﮐﻞ ﻣﻮﻟﻮﺩ ﻳﻮﻟﺪ ﻋﻠﻰ اﻟﻔﻄﺮﺓ ﻓﺄﺑﻮاﻩ ﻳﻬﻮﺩاﻧﻪ ﺃﻭ ﻳﻨﺼﺮاﻧﻪ ﺃﻭ ﻳﺠﺴﺎﻧﻪ‬

“Every child is born on Al-Fitrah – true faith of Islamic Monotheism

(i.e. to worship none but Allah Alone) – but his parents convert him to
13
Jama’ah al-Taqwa, NC Muslims eCommunity, Shaw University Mosque :
http://shawuniversitymosque.org/JTaqwa/modules.php?name=News&file=print&sid=1948
14
How Products are Made. How Products are Made. The Gale Group, Inc., 2002.
15
Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epitaxy
16
Sci-Tech Encyclopedia. McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology, The
McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc, 2005.

7
 Judaism or Christianity or Magianism, as an animal gives birth to a
perfect baby animal. Do you find it mutilated?”17

From this hadith, it can be relate that the sunnah of Allah in the creation of
man is from al-Fitrah, then it is depends on the parents to guide them with
Islam way of life or others. Meanwhile, in the creation of wafer which needs
to have a component of 99.9999999% (11 9’s)18 of pure Silicon, is
compulsory in the later design. A pure foundation of wafer will give a defect
free, and well-functional chip. The pure of wafer can be related with the al-
Fitrah of human creation while the design (interconnection) of the wafer is
like the man’s way of life. This is surely a sign of Sunnah of Allah for those
who ponder the creation of Allah.

2.4 Cleanliness: Important Aspect of Chip Making

The most crucial steps in wafer making are growing the crystals and
polishing the wafers, but if there is a higher power in all this, cleanliness is
right next to it. Much of wafer-making takes place in a ‘clean rooms’. Such
rooms are even more important to the actual making of chips on these
wafers.

Technically, they are called laminar flow clean rooms which means that
particles of a fluid or gas all move in parallel tiers or rows, and in this case it
means that the air in a clean room all moves continuously from the ceiling
down to the floor, where it vanishes through gates. Then it flows through
large fans back into the room via the ceiling, which is made up of a huge
array of filters. In this manner, all the air in a given room can be changed at
least six times a minute. We can see here, the place to fabricate needs a
clean environment.

Islam also gives an important subject to cleanliness for example in the

praying area as solah (pray) there are some angels that will pray for
forgiveness from Allah for those who are in the praying area with a condition
that are clean and free from the hadath, meaning in Islam the praying area

17
Hashimi, M., A., Keperibadian Muslim. Petaling Jaya, Pustaka Salam, 1986, p. 165.
18
Campbell, S. A., Chapter 2-Substrates Slide, New York, Oxford University Press, 2002, p.
15.

8
 is important as the praying itself. This can be proved by the saying of the
Prophet (PBUH):

Among the angels, there are From Abi Hurairah ra, from Allah’s Messenger
Muhammad pbuh said:

‫اﳌﻼﺋﻜﺔ ﺗﺼﻠﻲ ﻋﻠﻰ اﺣﺪﻛﻢ ﻣﺎﺩاﻡ ﰲ ﻣﺼﻼﻩ اﻟﺬﻱ ﺻﻠﻰ ﻓﻴﻪ ﻣﺎﻟ ﻳﺪﺙ‬.

‫ اﻟﻠﻬﻢ اﻏﻔﺮﻟﻪ اﻟﻠﻬﻢ اﺭﺣﻪ‬:‫ﺗﻘﻮﻝ‬.

“Angels always pray for those who sit in the area where they pray as
long as they are not in the hadath. Those angels will say; ‘O Our Lord,
please forgive this person, O Our Lord, give him the Rahmat’ ”19

The benefit of be in cleanliness is so great as angels of Allah will pray for us

as long as we are in a state of taharah. In the quran, Allah states the one
who are clean is a successful person. Quran explains this phenomenon as it
reads:

‫ح‬ ْ َ ‫قدْ أ‬
َ َ ‫فل‬ َ )8(‫ها‬
َ ‫وا‬ ْ َ ‫وت‬
َ ‫ق‬ َ ‫ها‬
َ ‫جوَر‬ ُ ‫ها‬
ُ ‫ف‬ َ ‫م‬
َ ‫ه‬
َ َ )7(‫ها‬
َ ْ ‫فأل‬ َّ ‫س‬
َ ‫وا‬ َ ‫ما‬
َ ‫و‬
َ ‫س‬ ْ َ ‫ون‬
ٍ ‫ف‬ َ
َ
10(‫ها‬ َّ َ‫ن د‬
َ ‫سا‬ ْ ‫م‬
َ ‫ب‬
َ ‫خا‬
َ ْ‫قد‬ َ ‫ن َزك ّا‬
َ )9(‫ها‬
َ ‫و‬ َ )
ْ ‫م‬
“By the Soul, and the proportion and order given to it, and its
enlightment as to its wrong and its right, truly he succeeds for those
who purifies it, and he fails that corrupts it”20

In this Ayat, Allah refers the clean person (who does the righteous thing) as
a successful on this dunia and the hereafter. And Allah also compare to
those who do bad things and follow wicked deed as a failure person. Islam
has paid due respects to the body, and its complete cleanliness for every
prayer has been declared as essential and basic. In one of the hadith,
narrated by Wasilah bin Asqa’ ra, the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad pbuh
said;

19
Nur, M., Ismail, Y., Abdullah, M., B., Mustika Hadith Rasullah: Muqaddimah dan Jilid
yang Pertama, Kuala Lumpur, Bahagian Hal Ehwal Islam Jab. Perdana Menteri, 2001, P.
230.
20
[Al-Quran, Al-Shams:7-10]

9
 ‫ﻋﻠﻰ ﮐﻞ ﻣﺴﻠﻢ ﻓ ﮐﻞ ﺳﺒﻌﺔ ﺃﻳﺎﻣ ﻳﻮﻣ ﻳﻐﺴﻞ ﺭﺃﺳﻪ ﻭﺟﺴﺪﻩ‬

“It is obligation on every Muslim in a week to have a day to wash his

head and all parts of the body (a bath/shower) –eg: Friday prayer in
clean body and cloth”21

3. The Process: Additive, Subtractive and Transform process.

Basically, each process that falls under these three processes plays the same
function according to the category of Additive, Subtractive and Transform
process respectively. In order to simplify the knowledge of Integrated Circuit
Technology, the three main processes will be discussed according to their
meaning, application and relate it to some sources from the Quran and
Hadith.

3.1 Additive Process: Epitaxy Growth, Deposition and Metallization process.

Epitaxy Growth (Week 1), Deposition (Week 8,9) and Metallization (Week
13,14) process falls under Additive process.

According to Jaeger, Epitaxy is used to grow single-crystal n-type silicon on

top of the silicon wafer (before oxide layer is growth). The epitaxial growth
process results in a high-quality silicon layer with the same crystal structure
as the original silicon wafer.22 While Answers.com stated Epitaxy is the
growth of the crystals of one mineral on the crystal face of another mineral,
such that the crystalline substrates of both minerals have the same
structural orientation.23

And in general, the WorldNet.com defined the Epitaxy as a process of

growing a crystal layer of one mineral on the crystal base of another mineral
in such a manner that its crystalline orientation is the same as that of the
substrate.24

21
Zainuddin, H., Fachruddin, H., Darwis, Z. and Rahman Z., Sahih al-Bukhari, Jilid IV,
Klang, Klang Book Center, 2005, p. 222.
22
Jaeger, Richard C. Introduction to microelectronic fabrication, Addison-Wesley, 2002.
23
Answers.com, http://www.answers.com/topic/epitaxy
24
WordNet, http://www.answers.com/topic/epitaxy

10
 Whereas technically, according to the Macmillan Dictionary, Deposition
process means a process in which layers of a substance form gradually over
a period of time.25 The deposited layers can be from the gaseous, metal or
any substances.

As the concept of epitaxy growth and the deposition are the same, the
metallization also takes the same idea of layers between layers for forming a
highly integrated interconnect26 except it takes a metal such Aluminium,
Gold, Silver, Copper or any material from metal type. By definition, metal is a
conductive conductor that can transmit current between interconnection.
Macmillan defined metal as a shiny substance that exists naturally from the
ground or in a rock.27

All these processes categorized under additive process generally is to provide

conductivity or barriers to the layers and gives a high quality silicon layer,
strong bond (same structural orientation) and give a strong adhesion layer
before other layer is deposit onto the substrate.

Here, we can see the Greatness of Allah’s creation in creating different types
of material to different type of benefits. When student further study this
subject, they can see the different properties and characteristic of Allah’s
material. Although it is from the same group it forms different function. Lets
for example the semiconductor of Silicon and Germanium, both are from the
same Group IV but because of the high melting point of Silicon, it is much
preferable as a substance (a base for a chip).

Same criteria to the oxidation, deposition and metallization process, it takes

the most desirable substance/material/gas to be a layer of a chip. By

25
International Student Edition, Macmilan English Dictionary for Advanced Learner, Oxford,
Bloomsbury Publishers Limited, 2002, p. 326.
26
Free Patent Online, Fully planarized dual damascene metallization using copper line
interconnect and selective CVD aluminum plug, http://www.freepatentsonline.com/711252.
html
27
Macmillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learners, International Student Edition,
Oxford, Bloomsbury Publishing Limited, 2002, p. 895.

11
 studying the course, student can relate Allah Greatness as described in the
verses of the Quran:

Referring to the Quran:

ٍ۬‫) أَلَمۡ تَرَوۡاْ كَيۡفَ خَلَقَ ٱلُّ سَبۡعَ سَمَـٰوَٲت‬١٤ ۡ ‫َد خَلَقَكُمۡ أ‬
( ‫َطوَارًا‬ ۡ ‫وَق‬
‫ّمسَ سِرَاجً۬ا‬
ۡ ‫ٱلقَمَرَ فِيہِنّ نُو ۬رًا وَجَعَلَ ٱلش‬
ۡ َ‫) وَجَعَل‬١٥( ‫طِبَاقً۬ا‬
‫) ثُمّ يُعِيدُكُمۡ فِيہَا‬١٧ ( ‫َرضِ نَبَاتً۬ا‬
ۡ ‫) وَٱلُّ أَنۢبَتَكُم مّنَ ٱلۡأ‬١٦(
)١٩ ۬ ‫َرضَ بِسَا‬
( ‫طًا‬ ۡ ‫ٱلأ‬
ۡ ُ‫) وَٱلُّ جَعَلَ لَكُم‬١٨ ( ‫وَيُخۡرِجُڪُمۡ إِخۡرَاجً۬ا‬

“And He has created you in different forms and different conditions.

See you not how Allah has created seven heavens in perfect harmony,
and has placed the moon, therein a light and made the sun a lamp?
And Allah has caused you to grow out of the earth as a good
growth. Then will He cause you to return, thereto, and He will bring
you forth a new bringing forth. And Allah has made the earth a wide
expanse for you”28

Although this verse is much related to the utilization of the earth like plant
the earth, but in indirect sense, we must ponder much deeply on what Allah
says. If we think carefully by the basic knowledge of material which is
obtained from the earth, the Greatness of Allah has shown here that He
asked, showed and directed us to the benefit of His Creation.

In the verse clearly questioned mankind of the creations of Allah has their
own purpose and benefit. It is the mankind problems that assume the things
that they are doing has no aim or purpose in view, but why that they
therefore assume that Allah, the Most Wise and All Knowing does things
without purpose. It is a thoughtless conclusion that He created man with no
purpose in view. Further, Allah has questioned mankind about His creation
of the seven heavens in perfect harmony with each other and similarly the

28
[Al-Quran: Nooh:14-19]

12
 sun and the moon. Also that the earth was one of the stages through which
passed in a process of slow growth to the point of perfection.

From this ayat, it is evidence if human can think further that the concept of
the creation which gives a strong bond (layer between layers) are shown
perfectly in the Quran. The revelation of Allah which is more than 1400 years
ago has already proved to be true. Allah is describing all these different
conditions so that the learned men may think over them, may contemplate
over them and from that their faith may be strengthened.

)٢ ( َ‫َمرَ يُفَصّلُ ٱلۡأَيَـٰتِ لَعَلّكُم بِلِقَآءِ رَبّكُمۡ تُوقِنُون‬

ۡ ‫يُدَبّرُ ٱلۡأ‬
“He does regulate the affairs, explaining the signs in detail that you
may believe with certainty in the meeting with your Lord”29

The verse above explained the sign of Allah sure have details in the creation.
This is to relate us with the true sign of the creation (the earth) as explained
in the Quran are true, it is the same with the Hereafter life that it is
absolutely true we will meet our Lord at the end. So for those who are foolish
and unintelligent, they see the good and bad conditions in the world, but do
not derive benefit from them. They are totally at a lost state. In the Hadith
narrated by Abu Daud, this kind of people is mentioned as stated:

“When a hypocrite gets ill and then they recovers from his illness, his
example is like that of a camel, whose those master ties it to a stake
and frees it, but it does not know why was it tied and why was it
freed.”30

This is why we must think carefully and see every thing that Allah creates
sure has something behind the creation especially during the process of chip
making or an IC fabrication, the earth (material) is used for making the
layers growth. As for Muslims, as stated by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH),

29
[Al-Quran, Ra’ad: 2]
30
Ghazali, M., Muslim’s Character Khuluq Al-Muslim, 2nd Edition, Hindustan Publication,
1990, p. 421.

13
 the earth is a place for worship. The Hadith below explained this
phenomenon:

“The whole earth has been created as a place for worship for me, pure
and clean.”31

Meaning, the creation of Allah has many benefits, not only physically but
also spiritually. Clearly, the Prophet declares the earth has become a masjid
for him and his followers, so that a Muslim can pray anywhere when the time
of Prayer is due.

3.2 A Subtraction process: Optical Lithography and Etching process.

A Subtraction process is a process of removing a material to form a pattern
on a chip and this process is consists of Optical Lithography (Week 4,5) and
Etching process (Week 6,7)

According to the Free Dictionary Encyclopedia, Photolithography (also optical

lithography) is a process used in microfabrication to selectively remove parts
of a thin film (or the bulk of a substrate). It uses light to transfer a geometric
pattern from a photomask to a light-sensitive chemical (photoresist, or
simply "resist") on the substrate. Photolithography resembles the
conventional lithography used in printing, and shares some fundamental
principles with photography.32 Campbell in his text, explained that thr
photolithography process is a most complicated, expensive, and critical
process in mainstream microelectronic fabrication.33 But because of it affords
exact control over the shape and size of the objects it creates, and can create
patterns over an entire surface simultaneously, it is the most desired method
in this fabrication process.

By definition, it is known that this process use light as its main object to
create a pattern on the chip for the purpose of designing. By definition of
31
Suleyman, A. M., Hamzah M. S., Environment and Waste Management Issues from Islamic
Perspective, K. Lumpur, Future Text Publication, 2006, p. 97.
32
Photolithography, http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/photolithography
33
Campbell, S. A., The Science and Engineering of Microelectronic Fabrication-Optical
Lithography, 2nd Ed., New York, Oxford University Press, 2002, p. 152.

14
 material of constant refractive index of light, light travels in straight
lines.34 We can see this directly from the sky, when the sun is behind the
cloud (especially the cloud rain) rays are coming down straight to the earth.
The useful characteristic of light, making the process as desired. According
to the Free Dictionary Website, one of the definitions of light is a pathway or
route of such illumination (guided) to a person .35 In the Quran Allah has
mentioned about the light as:

ِ‫ُم َرسُولُنَا ُيبَيّنُ لَكُمۡ ڪَثِيرً۬ا مّمّا ڪُنتُمۡ تُخۡفُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡڪِتَـٰب‬
ۡ ‫َد جَآ َءڪ‬
ۡ‫ق‬
( ٌ۬‫وَيَعۡفُواْ عَن ڪَثِيرٍ۬‌ۚ قَدۡ جَآءَڪُم مّنَ ٱلِّ نُو ۬رٌ وَڪِتَـٰبٌ۬ مّبِين‬
ِ‫ۥ سُبُلَ ٱلسّلَـٰم‬ ُ‫َهدِى بِهِ ٱلُّ مَنِ ٱتّبَعَ رِضۡوَٲنَه‬
ۡ ‫) ي‬١٥
ٍ۬‫ِم إِلَىٰ صِرَٲطٍ۬ مّسۡتَقِيم‬
ۡ ‫َهدِيه‬
ۡ ‫ِذ ِنهِۦ وَي‬
ۡ ‫وَيُخۡرِجُهُم مّنَ ٱلظّلُمَـٰتِ إِلَى ٱلنّورِ بِإ‬
١٦()

Now Our messenger has come unto you, expounding unto you much

of that which you used to hide in the Scripture, and forgiving much.

Now has come unto you the light from Allah and the plain Scripture,

(15) Whereby Allah has guide those who has seek His good pleasure

unto the paths of peace. He has brought them out of darkness unto

the light by His decree, and has guided them unto a straight path.

(16)36

In this untouchable revelation of Allah gives a meaningful guide whether it is

by spiritually or physically. Allah has sent onto us His Messenger and His
Book for us to use as a guide line in this real life to safe guide us in the
hereafter. To follow the path of Allah will safe guard us in the next life. In

34
Light travels in straight lines, http://www.optics.arizona.edu/Nofziger/UNVR195a/Class
2/C2P3.htm
35
Light, Farlex, http://www.thefreedictionary.com/light
36
[Al-Quran, Al-Maaidah: 15-16]

15
 indirect way, He has shown us the characteristic of light of straight path. In
our daily prayer, we always make a doa to guide us to the straight path:

َ‫) صِرَٲطَ ٱلّذِينَ أَنۡعَمۡت‬٦ ۡ ‫ٱهۡدِنَا ٱلصّرَٲطَ ٱلۡم‬

( َ‫ُستَقِيم‬
٧ ( َ‫ِم وَلَ ٱلض ّٓالّين‬
ۡ ‫)عَلَيۡهِمۡ غَيۡرِ ٱلۡمَغۡضُوبِ عَلَيۡه‬

“Guide us in the straight path - the path of those on whom You have
bestowed Your Grace. Not (the path) of those who earn Thine anger
nor of those who go astray.”37

Next, the process of Etching is taking place. In Wikipedia, Etching is defined

as a step used in microfabrication to chemically remove layers from the
surface of a wafer during manufacturing. Etching is a critically important
process module, and every wafer undergoes many etching steps before it is
complete. For many etch steps, part of the wafer is protected from the
etchant by a "masking" material which resists etching. 38 The Etching process
can be divided into two which are a dry or a wet etching process. If it is a wet
process the wafer (chips) will be dunk into a liquid of etchant, but if it is a
dry process, it will undergo under a certain pressure of gas to etch the
unwanted layer.

In Islamic view point the etching process can be view in removing the sins by
making the taubah (repent). As narrated by Abu Hurairah, the Prophet
(PBUH) said:
“When a Mu’min making a sins, a black dot appears in his heart, and
then when he make the taubah and astaghfar, his heart is cleaned
from the black spot. But if he continue do another sins, the spot
enlarges until it covers the entire heart”39

Hence, this is the rust which Allah has mentioned in the Quran:

37
[Al-Quran, Al-Fatihah: 6-7]
38
Wikipedia, Etching (microfabrication),
http://www.answers.com/topic/etching-microfabrication
39
Virtues of Purification (Tazkiatun Nafs), http://www.daar-ul-ehsaan.org/Awwal1418.htm

16
 ١٤ ۡ ‫)كَلّ‌ۖ بَلۡۜ رَانَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِہِم مّا كَانُواْ ي‬
( َ‫َكسِبُون‬
“By no means! But what they have earned is rust upon their
hearts”40

Thus, regarding to the Hadith by Hadrat Anas, the Prophet (PBUH) said:

“Hearts is like a rust of iron and it require cleansing and its cleansing
is through astagfaar”41

As to relate the Subtraction process, the sin must be avoided as the

knowledge is the light. The darkness of sin cannot co-exist with the light of
knowledge. The bad effects of sin will results in a bad memory and the
inability to retain knowledge. According to the al-Shafiee:

“I complained to [my shaykh] Wakee’ about my bad memory, and he

taught me that I should keep away from sin. He said that knowledge
of Allah is light, and the light of Allah is not given to the sinner.”42

3.3 Transform process: Diffusion, Thermal Oxidation, Ion Implantation and

Rapid Thermal Processing process.
While the final Transform process is a hot process that causes the material
to change its physical appearance. Diffusion (Week 10), Thermal Oxidation
(Week 2,3) and Ion Implantation (Week 11,12) process falls under this
category.

The textbook defined diffusion as the introduction of dopant and the

subsequent movement of the impurities when the wafer is heated is called
Diffusion.43 While The Science Dictionary defined oxidation in chip
processing as an any chemical reaction in which a material gives up
40
[Al-Quran, Al-Mutaffifin: 14]
41
Rawatul Tabrani, Virtues of Purification (Tazkiatun Nafs), http://www.daar-ul-
ehsaan.org/Awwal1418.htm
42
Ways To Strengthen One’s Memory, http://www.missionislam.com/health/memory.htm
43
Campbell, S. A., The Science and Engineering of Microelectronic Fabrication-Optical
Lithography, 2nd Ed., New York, Oxford University Press, 2002, p. 8.

17
 electrons, as when the material combines with oxygen. Burning is an
example of rapid oxidation; rusting is an example of slow oxidation. 44 But in
general, Answer.com stated that oxidation is the combination of a substance
with oxygen and a reaction in which the atoms in an element lose electrons
and the valence of the element is correspondingly increased.45 In the Quran,
Allah has explained the phenomenon of the heating and oxidation as stated:

ٰٓ ‫َى ب َۡينَ ٱلصّدَف َۡينِ قَالَ ٱنفُخُواْ‌ۖ حَت‬

‫ّى إِذَا‬ ٰ ‫ّى إِذَا سَاو‬ ٰٓ ‫ٱلحَدِي ‌ۖدِ حَت‬
ۡ َ‫ءَاتُونِى زُبَر‬
)٩٦ ( ‫ِط ۬رًا‬
ۡ ‫ِى أ ُۡفرِغۡ عَل َۡيهِ ق‬
ٓ ‫جَ َعلَهُ ۥ نَا ۬رًا قَالَ ءَاتُون‬
“Bring me blocks of iron”. Then, when he had filled up the space
between the two steep mountain sides, he said, “Blow (with your
bellows)” then, when he had made it (red) as fire, he said:” Bring me
46
molten cooper, that I may pour over it).

What is amazing in Quranic narration of the story of Dhul-Qarnain is that

revealing his engineering and technological skills.47 From this story of Dhul-
Qarnain which took place before 1400 years, it can be understood that the
Quran gives vision towards everything in the universe. This is due to the fact
that Muslims believe that the Quran is the main source of knowledge and
guidance in everything including engineering sciences and applications.48
Allah says in the Quran:

ٍ‫َى ۬‌ۚء‬
ۡ ‫ٱلكِت َٰـبِ مِن ش‬
ۡ ‫ّطنَا فِى‬
ۡ ‫مّا فَر‬
“Nothing have We omitted from the Book”49,

44
Hirsch, E., D., Joseph, Jr., Kett, F., and Trefil, J., Science Dictionary: The New Dictionary
of Cultural Literacy, 3rd Ed., Published by Houghton Mifflin, 2002.
45
Answers.com, http://www.answers.com/oxidation
46
[Al-Quran: Al-Kahf:96]
47
Fethi B. Ahmed, Revelation as a source of Engineering Sciences, Future Text Publication,
K. Lumpur, 2006, p. 42.
48
Fethi B. Ahmed, Revelation as a source of Engineering Sciences, Future Text Publication,
K. Lumpur, 2006, p. 44.
49
[Al-Quran: Al-An’am:38]

18
 َ‫بَ فِي ‌ۛهِ هُ ۬دًى ل ّۡلمُتّقِين‬
ۛ‌ ‫ذَٲلِكَ ٱلۡڪِتَـٰبُ لَ ر َۡي‬
“This is the Book in it is the guidance sure without doubt”50 and

ُ‫إِنّ هَـٰذَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ يَۡہدِى لِلّتِى هِىَ أَقۡوَم‬

“Verily this Quran do guide to that which is most right”51

Dhul-Qarnain built a dam from using iron and copper to prevent Gog and
Magog from spreading corruption on earth. The process itself, if we look from
the engineering materials and characterisation, is an oxidation process
where the heat up of the iron from blowing is where the oxygen is combined
with the iron to form the red fire. The same thing is done with the copper
where it is heated up until it meets its melting point to form a molten
copper. Then, the combination of both cooper and iron (under a very high
temperature) will produced a very strong substance and impossible to break
by the evil Gog and Magog under ordinary condition.

ِ‫وَأَنزَلۡنَا ٱلۡحَدِيدَ فِيهِ بَأۡسٌ۬ شَدِيدٌ۬ َومَنَـٰفِعُ لِلنّاس‬

“And we sent down Iron, in which is Great might, as well as many
benefits for mankind.”52

Calculating the energy required to form one atom of iron, it was found to be
about four times as much as the energy of the entire solar system. In other
words, the entire energy of the earth or any other planet is not sufficient to
form one new atom of iron.53

Though Quran is not a book of engineering sciences or technology, it

provides the principles, ideas, concepts, process and examples of
engineering practices that require exploration and careful consideration.

50
[Al-Quran: Al-Baqarah:2]
51
[Al-Quran: 17:9]
52
[Al-Quran: Al-Hadid:25]
53
Quranic Studies, Scientific Miracles – Astronomical Facts,
http://www.quranicstudies.com/articles/scientific-miracles/astonomical-facts.html

19
 This is where we must depends on Allah alone and seek the advancement in
knowledge as in the Quran stated:

‫ِدنِى عِلۡمً۬ا‬
ۡ ‫رّبّ ز‬
“O my Lord advance me in knowledge”54

Thus, the Qur'an is a reminder for all of mankind until the Last Hour. It
contains information that man discovers in due time. Because this Qur'an
was revealed from Allah’s knowledge and every single verse in it was revealed
with Allah’s knowledge, as He Himself said:

ۖ‌‫ۥ بِعِلۡمِهِۦ‬ ُ‫لّـٰكِنِ ٱلُّ يَشۡہَدُ بِم َٓا أَنزَلَ إِلَيۡكَ‌ۖ أَنزَلَه‬
“But Allah bears witness that what He has sent unto you He has sent
with His (own) knowledge...”55

Every single verse contains divine knowledge, but mankind is constantly

developing. In attaining higher levels of scientific understanding, mankind is
then capable of discerning the divine knowledge contained in a given verse.
Thus, coming to know that this verse has been revealed from Allah, with the
ever continuing process of human progress and development, man will come
to find the clue that enables him to understand another verse, and so on. In
this way mankind will continue to understand more and more verses. This is
the wondrous characteristics of the Qur'an.56

54
[Al-Quran: Taha:114]
55
[Al-Quran: An-Nisa:166]
56
Quranic Studies, Qur'anic Verses and Astronomical Discoveries,
http://www.quranicstudies.com/articles/scientific-miracles/quranic-verses-and-
astronomical-discoveries.html

20
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