Very-large-scale integration (VLSI) is the process of creating integrated circuits by combining thousands of transistor-based circuits into a single chip. VLSI began in the 1970s when complex semiconductor and communication technologies were being developed. The microprocessor is a VLSI device. The term is no longer as common as it once was, as chips have increased in complexity into the hundreds of millions of transistors.

This tutorial focuses on advanced techniques to cope with the complexity of designing modern digital chips which are complete systems often containing multiple processors, complex IP blocks and high-speed buses and interconnection networks. This tutorial addresses the following emerging challenges: architectural exploration, HW/SW co-design, complex control and concurrency, correctness and verification, timing closure, and low-power. The tutorial focuses on language facilities and synthesis techniques that dramatically simplify and shorten the process of correct chip design by raising the level of abstraction on multiple dimensions without sacrificing final hardware quality.