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Chiplet

Tiny integrated circuit with a well-defined function

Wikipedia contributorsAdapted for Fathomly · View authors
1 min read
Source updated August 4, 2026

A chiplet is a tiny integrated circuit (IC) that contains a well-defined subset of functionality. It is designed to be combined with other chiplets on an interposer in a single package to create a complex component such as a computer processor. Each chiplet in a computer processor provides only a portion of the processor's total functionality. A set of chiplets can be implemented in a mix-and-match "Lego-like" assembly. This provides several advantages over a traditional system on chip (SoC) which is monolithic as it comprises a single silicon die:

  • Reusable IP (intellectual property): the same chiplet can be used in many different devices
  • Heterogeneous integration: chiplets can be fabricated with different processes, materials, and nodes, each optimized for its particular function
  • Known good die: chiplets can be tested before assembly, improving the yield of the final device.

Multiple chiplets working together in a single integrated circuit may be called a multi-chip module, hybrid IC, 2.5D IC, or advanced package.

Chiplets may be connected with standards such as UCIe, bunch of wires (BoW), AIB (Advanced Interface Bus), OpenHBI (Open High Bandwidth Interface), and OIF (Optical Internetworking Forum) XSR (Extra Short Reach). Chiplets not designed by the same company must be designed with interoperability in mind.

The term was coined by University of California, Berkeley professor John Wawrzynek as a component of the RAMP Project (research accelerator for multiple processors) in 2006 extension for the Department of Energy.

Common examples include:

Watch videos about ChipletExplainers and documentaries on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Chiplet”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

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Related topics

UCIe

Universal Chiplet Interconnect Express is an open specification for a die-to-die interconnect and serial bus between chiplets. It is co-developed by AMD, Arm, ASE Group, Google Cloud, Intel, Meta, Microsoft, Qualcomm, Samsung, and TSMC. In August 2022, Alibaba Group and Nvidia joined as board members.

Multi-chip module

A multi-chip module is generically an electronic assembly (such as a package with a number of conductor terminals or "pins") where multiple integrated circuits (ICs or "chips"), semiconductor dice and/or other discrete components are integrated, usually onto a unifying substrate, so that in use it can be treated as if it were a larger IC. Other terms for MCM packaging include "heterogeneous integration" or "hybrid integrated circuit". The advantage of using MCM packaging is it allows a manufacturer to use multiple components for modularity and/or to improve yields over a conventional monolithic IC approach.