Moore's Law

When charting the evolution of computers in terms of software capacity, the process is exponential. The co-founder of the company Intel, discovered this trend. Many people interpret Moore's Law differently. Some people see it as a doubling of the number of transistors on a 1 inch piece of silicon every 18 to 24 months. Others see it as the overall doubling of processing power every 18 to 24 months.

A transistor is a device designed to control electron flows and contains a gate that can close to prevent electrons from flowing through the translator. The first transistors were huge, but soon smaller and more efficient transistors were developed. The planar transistor uses components etched directly onto a semiconductor and then applying a metal film to the substrate. This essentially puts a circuit on a semiconductor which was not possible before.

From the moment in 1961 that physicist Jean Hoerni developed a technique and a company for creating planar transistors, the technology advanced rapidly. Moore based his prediction on the vast industry development since the integrated circuit. But he noted that as the circuits become more complex they cost more to produce. His prediction held true for the first 10 years about the amount of components on a circuit.

Moore's Law has been proven true over decades, but in reality it is not a law at all. There is no physics or math concepts behind it, just the actions of humans as innovators. It is the nature of competition between corporations that fuels these massive improvements. Consumers have expectations of rapid improvements, and companies are keeping up. As long as this happens Moore's Law seems like it will continue.