Very-large-scale integration (VLSI) is the process of creating integrated circuits (ICs) by combining thousands of transistors into a single chip. VLSI began in the 1970s when complex semiconductor and communication technologies were being developed. The microprocessor is a VLSI device.
VLSI design is a process that starts with a high-level description of a digital system and ends with the creation of a detailed geometric layout of the devices that make up the system. In between, the design must go through a number of steps, including logic design, circuit design, and timing analysis.