[pedrocr]

Obviously exceeding total GDP is not possible and we'll stop well before from just commercial considerarions as you describe. The question is how much of that is inherent to the problem and how much is lack of innovation. And we'll get to find out because if the processes stall from the economic side all the research turns to that whereas today it's an arms race for the next node and the increasing cost is taken as a given because as long as you get there the customers also arrive. Once that's no longer the case it frees up competitors from just chasing the node at equivalent costs to actually innovating on the total cost. If that leads to nothing then maybe we actually stop almost completely.

[urthor]

Tbh, it's less of a research problem per se, and more of an implementation one, in many ways.

The current pace of development is such that that they are plugging stuff in and hoping it works in LOTS of different ways.

A small army of electrical engineers work night shifts at TSMC as well, something Intel could never pull off given American labour market demand for EEs.

I suspect you're right, when costs have to come down timelines will blow out to something more reasonable.