Islamizing The Subject

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 spacelimited 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 َ ْ َ ‫خل‬ َ َ ‫)أ‬ 115(‫ن‬ َ ‫ما‬ ِ ‫ح‬ َ ‫عو‬ ُ ‫ج‬ َ ‫م إِلَيْنَا َل تُْر‬ َ َ ‫م‬ َ ‫ف‬ ْ ُ ‫وأنَّك‬ ْ ُ ‫قنَاك‬ َ َّ ‫م أن‬ ْ ُ ‫سبْت‬ َ “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 2

interface

than

almost

all

other

material

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] Jake Page, Making the Chips that Run the World, Smithsonian Magazine, 2000, p. 36.

8 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 AllWatcher 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 15 16

How Products are Made. How Products are Made. The Gale Group, Inc., 2002. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epitaxy 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 alFitrah 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:

َ َ )7(‫ها‬ ْ َ ‫قدْ أ‬ ْ َ ‫وت‬ ُ ‫ها‬ ْ َ ‫ون‬ َ )8(‫ها‬ َّ ‫س‬ ‫ح‬ َ ‫وا‬ َ ‫جوَر‬ َ ‫وا‬ َ َ ‫فل‬ ُ ‫ف‬ َ ‫م‬ َ ْ ‫فأل‬ َ ‫ما‬ َ ‫ه‬ َ ‫و‬ َ ‫ق‬ َ ‫ها‬ َ ‫س‬ َ ٍ ‫ف‬ َ َّ َ‫ن د‬ َ ‫و‬ 10(‫ها‬ َ ْ‫قد‬ َ ‫سا‬ َ ‫ن َزك ّا‬ َ ‫خا‬ ْ ‫م‬ ْ ‫م‬ َ ‫ب‬ َ ) َ )9(‫ها‬ “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

( ‫َطوَارًا‬ ۡ ‫َد خَلَقَكُمۡ أ‬ ۡ ‫وَق‬

‫ّمسَ سِرَاجً۬ا‬ ۡ ‫ٱلقَمَرَ فِيہِنّ نُو ۬رًا وَجَعَلَ ٱلش‬ ۡ َ‫) وَجَعَل‬١٥( ‫طِبَاقً۬ا‬

‫) ثُمّ يُعِيدُكُمۡ فِيہَا‬١٧ )١٩

( ‫َرضِ نَبَاتً۬ا‬ ۡ ‫) وَٱلُّ أَنۢبَتَكُم مّنَ ٱلۡأ‬١٦(

( ‫طًا‬ ۬ ‫َرضَ بِسَا‬ ۡ ‫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.

( َ‫َمرَ يُفَصّلُ ٱلۡأَيَـٰتِ لَعَلّكُم بِلِقَآءِ رَبّكُمۡ تُوقِنُون‬ ۡ ‫يُدَبّرُ ٱلۡأ‬

)٢

“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 30

[Al-Quran, Ra’ad: 2] 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 33

Photolithography, http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/photolithography 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 ٧

( َ‫ُستَقِيم‬ ۡ ‫ٱهۡدِنَا ٱلصّرَٲطَ ٱلۡم‬

( َ‫ِ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

( َ‫َكسِبُون‬ ۡ ‫)كَلّ‌ۖ بَلۡۜ رَانَ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِہِم مّا كَانُواْ ي‬

١٤

“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 41

[Al-Quran, Al-Mutaffifin: 14] Rawatul

Tabrani,

Virtues

of

Purification

(Tazkiatun Nafs),

http://www.daar-ul-

ehsaan.org/Awwal1418.htm 42 43

Ways To Strengthen One’s Memory, http://www.missionislam.com/health/memory.htm 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 إِذَا‬ ٰٓ ‫َى ب َۡينَ ٱلصّدَف َۡينِ قَالَ ٱنفُخُواْ‌ۖ حَت‬ ٰ ‫ّ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 molten cooper, that I may pour over it).

46

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 DhulQarnain 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-andastronomical-discoveries.html

20

21