Abstract :
Developments during 1990 and future trends in solid-state devices are discussed. 1990 saw the commercial introduction of microprocessor chips containing more than 1 million transistors, and 1991 will probably see microprocessor chips with well over 2 million transistors. Processor speeds are keeping pace; 50-60 MHz chips can be expected in the next generation. Digital signal processor chips are adding enormous functionality to desktop computers and workstations, and a low-cost multimedia chip, which can provide video images and high-quality graphics on the screen and, simultaneously, high-quality sound, has been announced. Memory chips are getting bigger and faster, and flash memories are growing in popularity. Gate arrays, programmable-logic devices (PLDs) and so forth are growing steadily in their numbers of cells. Lithographic techniques made major advances, 1990 was also marked by a number of alliances, some of which ended unhappily
Keywords :
application specific integrated circuits; digital signal processing chips; integrated memory circuits; lithography; logic arrays; microprocessor chips; 50 to 60 MHz; DSP chips; desktop computers; flash memories; gate arrays; high-quality graphics; high-quality sound; lithographic techniques; memory chips; microprocessor chips; multimedia chip; programmable-logic devices; solid-state devices; video images; workstations; Automobile manufacture; Central Processing Unit; Costs; Digital signal processing chips; Microcontrollers; Microprocessors; Semiconductor device manufacture; Solid state circuits; Space technology; Videoconference;
