Living in the materials world

摘要

Engineers understand the importance of basic materials to our industry and its progress. Advances in the performance and reliability of our ICs, connectors, pc boards, and passives depend on increasingly pure and perfect materials, which ironically, precise impurities often moderate. This situation applies not just to silicon. Even the relatively humble resistor or capacitor depends on the quality and consistency of, as well as improvements in, so many members of the periodic table. (Reference 1 provides a fascinating and readable exploration of the role of every element in our modern society.)