An introduction to standard-cell VLSI design: Very large scale integration (VLSI) is becoming an important means of producing electronic circuits at low cost, on tight schedules, and with protection for proprietary designs

The advantages of VLSI are many, including lower parts count, smaller boards, nonreverse engineerable designs, and lower power. The disadvantages, however, include a certain amount of design inflexibility and a penalty for design miscalculations or design changes that result in a requirement for a larger than anticipated area of silicon on the IC chip.