Hybrid chip package. Macrophotograph of a hybrid integrated circuit (IC) package. Four IC chips are mounted on yellow substrates (centre). Thin wires (usually gold wires) connect the chips to the yellow inter-connectors to make up the hybrid chip. Thin wires also connect the hybrid chip to the grey terminations which connect the chip to the outside world. The terminations are used so that the chip is not damaged when it is connected to a circuit board by soldering. A hybrid chip functions as a single unit. This means that no single component can be altered without destroying the chip. The chip can be used in many electronic devices, especially computers.