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Hitachi says it has developed world's smallest IC chip TOKYO, Feb 6 (AFP) Feb 06, 2006 Japan's Hitachi said Monday it has developed the world's smallest and thinnest IC chip that can be embedded in paper to track down parcels or prove the authenticity of a document. The integrated circuit (IC) chip is as minute as a speck of dust, measuring just 0.15 millimeters (0.006 inches) by 0.15 millimeters and 7.5 micrometers thick, Hitachi said. One micrometer is one-thousandth of a millimeter. Using an external antenna, it receives power from electrical waves. The small size "enables us to boost the number of chips that can be made from a single wafer," making them less expensive, said Hitachi research administrator Tomiko Kinoshita said. "Since we would be able to meet large orders, it could be used in thin paper products that are usually printed in large numbers," she said. The chip could also be used in the wrapping of parcels so they can be tracked down as they are delivered, she said. Other applications would include gift coupons, securities and certificates, she said.
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