An integrated circuit (IC), sometimes called a chip or microchip, is a semiconductor wafer on which countless tiny resistor capacitors are made. Ics can be used as amplifiers, timekeepers or microprocessors. Different ics are classified as linear (imitative) or digital depending on their future use. The basic idea is to take a complete circuit, consisting of many components and their connections, and reconstruct the entire circuit in microscopic detail on the surface of a piece of silicon. It was a brilliant idea that enabled all sorts of "micro-electronic" gadgets, from digital watches and pocket calculators to moon rockets and weapons with built-in satellite navigation.