EE569 IPC Practice Test

In Integrated Circuit technology, 'current density' is defined as the amount of current flowing per unit area of a given surface. This concept is crucial because it allows engineers to assess how much electrical current is passing through a specific area of a conductive material, such as the metal interconnections or semiconductor regions in an integrated circuit.

Current density is typically expressed in units of amperes per square meter (A/m²). Understanding current density is vital for various applications, including determining the thermal effects, efficiency, and performance of the devices. It helps in the design considerations of ICs to avoid issues like overheating or electromigration, which can occur if the current density is too high in a particular area.

The other choices do not accurately reflect the definition of current density. The total voltage in a semiconductor does not relate to area and is not a measure of current per unit area. The resistance offered by a conductor pertains to how much it opposes current flow rather than the amount of current per area. The frequency of oscillation of current deals with AC signals and timing aspects, which is unrelated to the concept of current density in the context of integrated circuits.