section_path: Terminology
section_name: Terminology
paragraph_text: Terminology
  
  An integrated circuit is defined as:
  
  A circuit in which all or some of the circuit elements are inseparably associated and electrically interconnected so that it is considered to be indivisible for the purposes of construction and commerce.
  
  In strict usage, integrated circuit refers to the single-piece circuit construction originally known as a monolithic integrated circuit, which comprises a single piece of silicon. In general usage, circuits not meeting this strict definition are sometimes referred to as ICs, which are constructed using many different technologies, e.g. 3D IC, 2.5D IC, MCM, thin-film transistors, thick-film technologies, or hybrid integrated circuits. The choice of terminology frequently appears in discussions related to whether Moore's Law is obsolete.