From Vacuum Tubes to Chiplets: A History of Semiconductor Scaling and its Challenges

This article traces the history of semiconductor scaling, from bulky vacuum tubes to integrated circuits and massive modern SoCs. Starting with the invention of the transistor at Bell Labs, it details breakthroughs in silicon materials, planar processes, MOSFETs, and the exponential growth in chip integration driven by Moore's Law. However, the article highlights the challenges SoCs face in manufacturing, cost, and yield, setting the stage for a future discussion on how chiplets can overcome these limitations.