Who should I follow to learn about Chip Design?

If you want to learn **chip design (IC/VLSI design, semiconductors, CPUs, ASICs, analog/mixed-signal, EDA flows)**, I’d follow a mix of **professors, industry engineers, chip companies, and technical creators**. The best people to follow depends on whether you want to become a designer, understand the industry, or just build intuition. ## 1. Chip design fundamentals (best for students) - Behzad Razavi - One of the best teachers for analog IC design. His lectures on CMOS, op-amps, RF circuits, and transistor-level design are widely used by students and engineers. [Video resources](https://www.reddit.com/r/chipdesign/comments/1ly339q?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - Ali Hajimiri - Excellent for analog/RF IC design and understanding how expert designers think. [Video resources](https://www.reddit.com/r/chipdesign/comments/1ly339q?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - David Harris - Great for digital design, processors, and VLSI concepts. - Randy Katz - Useful for architecture-level thinking. ## 2. Digital design, CPUs, FPGA, and RTL - Robert Dick - Good for hardware systems and design research. - Mark Horowitz - Follow his talks on energy-efficient computing and modern processors. - Chris Lattner - More compiler/architecture focused, but very relevant if you care about modern accelerators and AI chips. ## 3. Semiconductor industry and chip business - TSMC - Follow for process technology, manufacturing, and the foundry ecosystem. - NVIDIA - Important for learning about GPUs, AI accelerators, and advanced architectures. - AMD - Good for CPU/GPU architecture and chiplet trends. - Intel - Useful for process technology, CPUs, and manufacturing strategy. For industry-level explanations, Asianometry is one of the better channels for semiconductor history, companies, and market context. [List of YouTube Channels with good content for Computer Engineering](https://www.reddit.com/r/ComputerEngineering/comments/1gngayj/list_of_youtube_channels_with_good_content_for/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) ## 4. Practical chip-design creators and communities - Zero to ASIC - Good if you want to learn the path from RTL to a fabricated chip. [Anyone have good YouTube recommendations for semiconductor / chip engineering or RF/WiFi testing?](https://www.reddit.com/r/chipdesign/comments/1qw3pq8/anyone_have_good_youtube_recommendations_for/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - Branch Education - Excellent visual explanations of semiconductor devices and hardware systems. [Branch Education - Complex concepts, beautifully explained](https://branch.education/?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - EEVblog - More electronics than IC design, but very valuable for engineering intuition. [YouTube Channels for EEs: Tutorials, Design Tips, Project Guides](https://www.designnews.com/electronics/must-view-youtube-channels-for-electronics-engineers?utm_source=chatgpt.com) ## 5. EDA tools and professional flows Follow the companies that make the tools used to design chips: - [Cadence Design Systems](https://www.cadence.com?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - Analog, digital, verification, and physical design tools. - [Synopsys](https://www.synopsys.com?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - Synthesis, verification, security, and EDA flows. - [Siemens EDA](https://eda.sw.siemens.com?utm_source=chatgpt.com) - Place-and-route, verification, and semiconductor design tools. Cadence also publishes educational material covering topics like power, optimization, datapaths, and physical design concepts. [Binge on Chip Design Concepts this Weekend! - Digital Design - Cadence Blogs - Cadence Community](https://community.cadence.com/cadence_blogs_8/b/di/posts/binge-on-the-chip-design-concepts-this-weekend?utm_source=chatgpt.com) ## If I were starting today, I’d follow this path: 1. **Understand transistors + CMOS** - Behzad Razavi lectures - Basic semiconductor physics 2. **Learn digital hardware** - Verilog/SystemVerilog - Computer architecture - FPGA projects 3. **Build real designs** - Small RISC-V CPU - Simple accelerator - ASIC flow with open-source tools 4. **Track the industry** - Asianometry - Semiconductor company blogs - ISSCC / IEEE talks A strong starter stack would be: **Razavi → Harris → Zero to ASIC → Asianometry → Cadence/Synopsys resources**. That combination covers theory, implementation, and the industry view.

**If you want to learn about chip design, follow leading semiconductor researchers, industry veterans, and hands-on electronics educators. Some of the most influential voices include Philip Wong (Stanford), Subhasish Mitra (Stanford), Gabriel Loh (AMD), Limor “Ladyada” Fried (Adafruit), and Daniel Nenni (SemiWiki).** ## 🔑 Key Experts in Chip Design Name| Affiliation| Focus Area| Why Follow Them ---|---|---|--- **Dr. Philip Wong**| Stanford University| Nanoscale semiconductor devices, chiplet technology| His research drives modular chip design and next-gen architectures. [Top Chiplet Experts to Follow - Ian Khan | AI Keynote Speaker for Hire | Futurist, Author, Thinkers50](https://www.iankhan.com/top-10-chiplets-experts-to-follow-a-future-ready-guide-for-2026/) **Prof. Subhasish Mitra**| Stanford University| Robust systems design, chip architectures| Known for reliability and integration of chiplets into complex systems. [Top Chiplet Experts to Follow - Ian Khan | AI Keynote Speaker for Hire | Futurist, Author, Thinkers50](https://www.iankhan.com/top-10-chiplets-experts-to-follow-a-future-ready-guide-for-2026/) **Gabriel Loh**| AMD Fellow| High-performance architectures, heterogeneous computing| Provides deep insights into chiplet-based designs in commercial CPUs/GPUs. [Top Chiplet Experts to Follow - Ian Khan | AI Keynote Speaker for Hire | Futurist, Author, Thinkers50](https://www.iankhan.com/top-10-chiplets-experts-to-follow-a-future-ready-guide-for-2026/) **Michael Flynn**| University of Michigan| Digital & analog VLSI circuits| His work bridges traditional chip design with emerging modular approaches. [Top Chiplet Experts to Follow - Ian Khan | AI Keynote Speaker for Hire | Futurist, Author, Thinkers50](https://www.iankhan.com/top-10-chiplets-experts-to-follow-a-future-ready-guide-for-2026/) **Limor “Ladyada” Fried**| Adafruit Industries| Open-source hardware, electronics education| Makes chip design approachable for hobbyists and engineers. [The Top 5 influencers in electronics engineering and PCB design](https://www.circuitmind.io/resource-center/the-top-5-influencers-in-electronics-engineering-and-pcb-design) **Dave Jones**| EEVblog (YouTube)| Electronics tutorials, PCB design| Offers practical, hands-on lessons from fundamentals to advanced design. [The Top 5 influencers in electronics engineering and PCB design](https://www.circuitmind.io/resource-center/the-top-5-influencers-in-electronics-engineering-and-pcb-design) **Daniel Nenni**| SemiWiki| Semiconductor industry thought leadership| Runs one of the most active practitioner communities in chip design. [25 Essential Thought Leaders in Semiconductors | SemiWiki](https://semiwiki.com/forum/threads/25-essential-thought-leaders-in-semiconductors.25471/) ## 📌 Why These Voices Matter * **Academic leaders (Wong, Mitra, Flynn)**: They shape the future of chip design through cutting-edge research in nanoscale devices, reliability, and modular chiplets. * **Industry experts (Loh, Nenni)**: They provide practical insights into how chip design evolves in real-world products and global supply chains. * **Educators & influencers (Ladyada, Dave Jones)**: They make chip design accessible, offering tutorials, open-source tools, and community-driven learning. ## ⚠️ Risks & Considerations * **Signal overload**: The semiconductor space is vast; following too many voices can be overwhelming. Focus on a mix of academic, industry, and practical educators. * **Rapid change**: Chip design evolves quickly (AI accelerators, chiplets, 3D stacking). Some content may become outdated within a few years. * **Bias** : Industry experts may emphasize their company’s approach. Balance perspectives by following both independent educators and corporate researchers. ## ✅ Next Steps * Start with **Dave Jones (EEVblog)** and **Ladyada(Adafruit)** for approachable tutorials. * Add **Philip Wong** and **Gabriel Loh** for deeper technical insights into chiplet design. * Follow **Daniel Nenni (SemiWiki)** to stay updated on industry trends and debates. Would you like me to curate a **Twitter/LinkedIn list of these experts** so you can follow them directly? That way you’ll have a ready-made feed of chip design insights.

To learn chip design, following key industry experts, educators, researchers, and open-source hardware pioneers across platforms like LinkedIn, YouTube, X (Twitter), and GitHub provides invaluable insights. **Academic & Industry Leaders** * **David Harris and Sarah Harris:** Authors of _Digital Design and Computer Architecture (RISC-V Edition)_. Following their work or looking up their university lectures offers the gold standard for digital logic fundamentals. [Where should I start if I want to venture into processor or chip design](https://www.reddit.com/r/chipdesign/comments/1j3uoyj/where_should_i_start_if_i_want_to_venture_into/#:~:text=Comments%20Section%20*%20The%20best%20way%20to,required%20for%20you%20to%20achieve%20this%20project.) * **Prof. Rajesh Zota / VLSI Experts:** Academic researchers and independent educators who break down complex layout and semiconductor physics principles. * **Jim Keller:** Legendary microprocessor engineer (known for work at AMD, Apple, Tesla, and Tenstorrent). While he doesn't post daily tutorials, tracking his talks, keynotes, and interviews provides masterclasses in modern CPU architecture and high-performance chip design. **Open-Source Hardware & EDA Communities** * **Tim "Mitch" Ansell (Google / Open Silicon):** A key driver behind open-source ASIC design tools (like SkyWater 130nm PDK). Following him on LinkedIn or GitHub shows you how open-source silicon is changing the barrier to entry for chip design. * **YosysHQ / Clifford Wolf:** Creator of Yosys and active figures in open-source synthesis tools, essential for modern hardware description language (HDL) workflows. * **The RISC-V International Community:** Following structural accounts and core architects associated with RISC-V keeps you updated on the open ISA revolution driving modern chip startups and giants alike. **Practical Learning Channels & Creators** * **Asic World / Nand2Tetris Creators:** For structured learning paths, following platforms and communities that guide you from building a logic gate to running code on a simulated CPU. * **YouTube Creators and VLSI Channels:** Channels like _VLSI Expert_ , _SemiWiki_ (Daniel Nenni), and various semiconductor industry analysts provide deep dives into market trends, fabrication nodes (TSMC, Intel Foundry), and tape-out processes. Want a recommended reading list and project roadmap to get started with chip design? Yes

Learning chip design (silicon engineering, VLSI, and computer architecture) relies less on casual social media feeds and more on deep-dive newsletters, open-source hardware communities, and veteran engineers who share teardowns and technical guides. Top sources and creators to follow include: * * **Substack Newsletters** * _[The Chip Letter](https://thechipletter.substack.com/)_ : Run by Babbage, this is an exceptional publication tracking computer history, microarchitecture, and how modern silicon chips work. * _[Peak FLOPS](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/emi-andere_launching-the-peak-flops-substack-a-permanently-activity-7444836210096807936-A32V)_ : Created by Emilio Andere, focused heavily on AI hardware breakdowns, low-level optimizations, and accelerator architectures. * _[Bits and Bytes by Pushkar Ranade](https://semiconductor.substack.com/)_ : Deep analytical views into the broader semiconductor landscape and computing trends. [Peak FLOPS: Free Substack for AI Hardware Breakdowns | Emilio Andere posted on the topic | LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/emi-andere_launching-the-peak-flops-substack-a-permanently-activity-7444836210096807936-A32V)[The Chip Letter | Babbage | Substack](https://thechipletter.substack.com/)[Pushkar Ranade | Substack: Bits and Bytes](https://semiconductor.substack.com/) * **Hands-on & Open-Source Communities** * _Zero to ASIC Course / Matt Venn_ : Essential follow and resource for practical digital design. _Matt Venn_ popularized open-source ASIC design workflows, making it possible for individuals to actually get custom silicon fabricated. Following his project ecosystem is one of the best ways to bridge theory with physical reality. * _EEVblog_ : Run by Dave Jones, a legendary resource for electronics engineering tutorials, teardowns, and practical lab insights. [Design your own Computer Chip in 5 steps!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjEnA3LUDdo&t=131)[6 of the best hardware engineering blogs and substacks to follow](https://www.allspice.io/post/6-best-hardware-engineering-blogs-and-substacks) * **Industry Analysts & Corporate Insights** * _SemiAnalysis (_Dylan Patel_)_: The gold standard for deep business and technical analysis of cutting-edge chip design (NVIDIA, AMD, Apple silicon, TSMC nodes). While heavy on the market side, the technical deep-dives into chiplet architecture, packaging, and cost models are unmatched. * Would you prefer to focus on **digital design / Verilog** , **analog layout** , or **high-level computer architecture** so I can narrow down specific textbooks and video courses for you?