IMPACT OF NEW CHIP TECHNOLOGIES ON TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Microelectronics has revolutionized the architecture and design concep ts of telecommunications products dramatically. Its strength is based on the combination of three different disciplines : technology, design automation and device architecture. The evolution in all these topics will be described and illustrated with several examples of telecommun ications applications. At present VLSI circuits are used in three impo rtant business segments of the telecommunications market : switching, transmission and end-user systems. The technology requirements for the se applications are followed by a brief discussion on reliability requ irements and future technology trends.