On the other hand, there are a couple of advantages for integrated components:
• Since all components are formed
together, matched characteristics are
easy to obtain.
• Since all components exist in the same
structure, thermal tracking is inherent.
Of course, the biggest advantage is the huge
savings in cost. Often, a single IC that costs less
than a dollar can replace hundreds or thousands
or discrete components that would cost hundreds of dollars.
So far, the discussion has been limited
to monolithic (single stone) ICs. Hybrid ICs
combine several technologies. For example, a
hybrid IC might contain monolithic ICs, film
resistors, chip capacitors, and discrete transistors on a ceramic substrate. Hybrid ICs are
generally more expensive than monolithic ICs.
The advantages of hybrid ICs are:
• Power levels into the kilowatt region.
• Precision components can be used.
• Laser trimming can be used.