Along with the advanced integrated circuits are that of the " cores " or microprocessors, which handle many of today's appliances from computers and cellular phones to digital microwave ovens. Digital memory chips and ASICs are examples of other groups of integrated circuits which are important to the modern information society. Whilst cost of designing and developing a complex integrated circuit is high, when costs are spread across typically millions of production units, the individual IC cost is reduced. The performance of Integrated circuits is high as the small size allows short traces, which then allows low power logic (for example CMOS), to be used at quick switching speeds.
Integrated circuits have constantly migrated to smaller feature sizes over time thus, allowing more circuitry to be placed on each chip. The increase in capacity per unit area can be used to decrease cost and increase functionality, this can be seen in Moore's law where it states that the number of transistors in an integrated circuit doubles every two years in a modern interpretation. Normally as the feature size shrinks, there can be seen improvements in everything. The cost per unit and the power consumption of switching go down, and the speed goes up. Integrated circuits with nanometer-scale devices have a variety of problems, one of which being current leakage, however these problems are not unconquerable and it is likely they will be solved, or improved at least, by the introduction of high-k dielectrics. As the power consumption and speed gains are apparent to the end user, there is competition among manufacturers to use finer geometries. The process/expected progress over the next few years, is described by the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS).
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