Identify the Microarchitecture — Interactive Quiz

Question 01 / 05 · Semiconductor Physics

In a p-channel MOSFET, current flows between source and drain when the gate-to-source voltage (V_GS) is:

Greater than the threshold voltage (V_GS > V_th), where V_th is positive

More negative than the threshold voltage (V_GS < V_th), where V_th is negative

Equal to zero volts at all times

Equal to the supply voltage V_DD

Question 02 / 05 · Microarchitecture History

The Intel 4004, introduced in 1971, is historically significant primarily because it was:

The first transistor to be manufactured from gallium arsenide rather than silicon

The first commercially deployed vacuum tube-based computing element

The first commercially available single-chip microprocessor, integrating an entire central processing unit onto one silicon die

The first processor to implement the RISC instruction set architecture

Question 03 / 05 · Materials Science

The Czochralski process is used in semiconductor manufacturing to:

Grow large single-crystal silicon ingots from molten silicon using a seed crystal

Deposit thin films of metal onto wafer surfaces using vapour phase chemistry

Pattern photoresist layers using ultraviolet light projected through a photomask

Polish wafer surfaces to nanometre-scale flatness using chemical slurry

Question 04 / 05 · Instruction Set Architecture

Which of the following best characterises the RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computing) architectural philosophy?

A large instruction set with variable-length encodings and instructions capable of performing combined memory access and arithmetic operations

A processor design using only vacuum tube switching elements to implement Boolean logic operations

An architecture optimised exclusively for floating-point arithmetic operations in scientific computing

Fixed-length instructions, a load-store memory model, and large general-purpose register files, enabling efficient pipeline implementation

Question 05 / 05 · Physics of Scaling

Quantum tunnelling becomes a critical limiting factor in MOSFET scaling primarily because:

At low temperatures, silicon loses its semiconducting properties entirely and behaves as a metallic conductor

As gate oxide thickness and channel length approach atomic dimensions, electrons can traverse energy barriers without classical activation, producing leakage current that degrades device performance

The carrier mobility of silicon decreases linearly with gate length reduction, making fast switching impossible below 100 nm

Photolithographic exposure tools cannot resolve features smaller than 250 nm using visible light wavelengths

0 / 5

Foundational — Explore the Archive

Correct answers are highlighted above in green. Review the archive journal articles and glossary to strengthen your understanding of the topics covered in this assessment.

Access Glossary Read the Journal Visit Virtual Exhibit

Identify the
Microarchitecture

Five Questions on Semiconductor Physics and Microarchitecture

Question Key and Further Reading