This classification marks a specific density of semiconductor manufacturing where a single chip holds tens of thousands to millions of transistors. It represents the leap from simple logic blocks to complete microprocessors and memory arrays on one die. Engineers use this term to differentiate complex system chips from earlier, simpler integration levels.
We need to shift to a very-large-scale architecture if we want to fit the memory controller on the same die as the processor.
Related terms
Very large scale integration
The process of creating complex integrated circuits by combining hundreds of thousands of transistors on a single chip.
Large scale integration
A historic classification for microchips containing thousands of logic gates.
Chip
A small piece of semiconducting material containing a complex integrated circuit.
Wafer
A highly polished slice of semiconductor material used as the foundation for fabricating integrated circuits.