To hasten development in the microelectronics arena of very large-scale integration (VLSI), DARPA funded Metal Oxide Silicon Implementation Service, or MOSIS.
The service provided a fast-turnaround (four to 10 weeks), low-cost ability to run limited batches of custom and semicustom microelectronic devices. By decoupling researchers from the need to have direct access to fabrication facilities and to negotiate the complexities of producing microelectronic chips, MOSIS opened innovation in this space to players who otherwise might have been precluded.
A key aspect of MOSIS was the pooling of several chip designs onto a single semiconductor wafer. MOSIS opened for business in January 1981 and a MOSIS service was still available in nearly 40 years later.
Redefining Possible
Since 1958, DARPA has been an engine of innovation serving national defense and the U.S. warfighter.