Abstract: A microelectronic circuit featuring techniques for further miniaturization having particular interest for devices such as hearing aids characterized as having four sections: one section containing "normal use" circuits, a second section having "special use" circuits, a third section for "control"; and a fourth section containing passive components which are generally physically large. The "normal use" section contains those circuits that are in use most of the time. For hearing aids this would include, e.g., programmable audio response circuits. The "special use" circuits are those circuits that are in use for only a short period of time. For hearing aids, this would include a memory for storing the user's hearing loss prescription. The control circuit includes circuits for switching the large passive elements of the fourth section back and forth between the "normal use" sections and the "special use" sections.