Large-Scale Integration: What Is Yet to Come?

Abstract

The rapid development of large-scale integrated circuits in the last two decades has revolutionized information handling. Higher levels of integration have been achieved principally by making the individual circuit elements smaller, but reduction of random defects and innovations in circuit design have also been important factors. Practical limits to the size of integrated circuits, such as those imposed by the use of photolithography to define the circuits, can be avoided by using other methods, such as solid-state diffusion or electron beams. The prospects are that dimensions and defect densities will continue to be reduced while speed increases. Redundancy in circuits will lead to lower costs and higher levels of integration. As logic becomes more complex and applications narrower, the increased number of unique circuit designs needed tends to increase costs. The microprocessor was developed to answer this problem and will have a radical influence on future computing systems.

Physical limits of silicon transistors and circuits

“…Robert N Noyce, a co-inventor of the integrated circuit, has said 'The integrated circuit is the component industry's solution to the interconnection problem' (Noyce 1977). Today the provision of communication between devices on a chip is part of the chip manufacturing process.…”

III–V photonic integrated circuits and their impact on optical network architectures

“…Similar concerns existed in the electronics industry circa 1975 when Robert Noyce [2] and others made the case for larger scale electronic integration. It would be economically prohibitive, due to the number of expensive individual hermetic packages that would be required.…”

Prospects for Computational Fluid Mechanics

“…These dimensions should decrease to 1 J1m by 1990 using optical techniques, although electroH beams affording greater resolution may come into use. Thus a million components per chip will be possiblc by the mid 1980s (Noyce 1977). Various building blocks can be constructed from ICs, particularly central processors with somc input/output logic and random-access memory.…”