Advanced integrated circuits are the heart of microprocessors or multi-core processors that control everything from computers to cell phones to digital microwave ovens. Although the cost of designing and developing a complex integrated circuit is very high, when spread over often millions of products, the cost of each integrated circuit is minimized. The performance of integrated circuits is high because the small size leads to short paths, allowing low-power logic circuits to be used at fast switching speeds.

Over the years, integrated circuits have continued to move toward smaller form factors, allowing more circuits to be packed into each chip. This increases the capacity per unit area, which allows for lower costs and increased functionality, see Moore's Law, the number of transistors in an integrated circuit doubles every 1.5 years. In short, as the form factor shrinks, almost all indicators improve, unit cost and switching power consumption decrease, and speed increases. However, there are also problems with ICs that integrate nanometer-scale devices, the main one being leakage current. Therefore, the increase in speed and power consumption is very obvious to the end user, and manufacturers face the acute challenge of using better geometry. This process and the expected progress in the next few years are well described in the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors.

Only half a century after its development, integrated circuits have become ubiquitous, and computers, mobile phones, and other digital appliances have become an integral part of the social fabric. This is because modern computing, communication, manufacturing, and transportation systems, including the Internet, all rely on the existence of integrated circuits. Even many scholars believe that the digital revolution brought about by integrated circuits is an important event in human history. The maturity of ICs will bring about a great leap forward in technology, whether in design technology or semiconductor process breakthroughs, both are closely related.