From June 14 to 18, 2026, the IEEE/JSAP International Symposium on VLSI Technology and Circuits (VLSI Symposium) took place in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. This symposium holds a prestigious position as one of the premier academic conferences in the international semiconductor and integrated circuit fields. Alongside ISSCC and IEDM, VLSI is widely acknowledged as the most influential international conference in this arena. It functions as a vital platform for the international academic and industrial communities to present state-of-the-art chip technologies and semiconductor innovations.

With the theme of "Advancing the Frontiers of Artificial Intelligence through VLSI Innovation," this year's symposium gathered leading research institutions and enterprises from across the globe. The aim was to engage in discussions about the latest technological advancements and future trends within the VLSI field. During the conference, Intel made a significant announcement. Its first performance-enhanced iteration of the 18A series, the 18A-P process, had reached the risk production stage. This unveiling showcased research achievements including gate-all-around transistors and backside power delivery technology.

Samsung also made waves by demonstrating its pioneering 3D stacked transistor technology, which featured a 42-nanometer gate pitch. Moreover, imec, ASML, and TSMC collaborated to present n-type and p-type field-effect transistors based on two-dimensional materials. They achieved a remarkable breakthrough with a 50-nanometer contact polysilicon pitch. These accomplishments clearly indicate that VLSI technology is relentlessly pushing the boundaries of physical limitations. In doing so, it provides strong support for the development of fields such as artificial intelligence and high-performance computing.^[1][2][4][6][8][9][11][12][15]^