front end of line (chip production) (FEOL)

Front-End-of-Line(FEOL) stands in the semiconductor production of components for the totality of the process steps for the production of transistors and other circuit elements. The other passive circuit elements such as resistors and capacitors are added in the following process step, the middle-of- line. The last process step is Back-End-of-Line(BEOL), where the wiring and contacts are electrically connected.