Introduction to VLSI: a quick tour

This lecture provides a historical overview of VLSI technology, starting from the early days of automation and computation with examples like Jaquet-Droz automata and the Babbage Difference Engine. It covers the era of the transistor, the invention of the integrated circuit, and the impact of Moore's Law. The lecture discusses the rapid technological progress in the Transistor Era, the evolution of VLSI performance metrics, and the challenges faced in maintaining Moore's Law. It also delves into the manufacturing process of chips, from silicon fabrication to mask production. The lecture concludes by exploring the technologies for chip integration and the future prospects of VLSI technology.