Exactly: Making new/better ICs is not "deep tech" research.
Creating the first IC, creating the concept of an integrated circuit is deep tech research.
Creating the first IC, creating the concept of an integrated circuit is deep tech research.
I really don't care about the definition or semantics here personally. I think creating first one is great, but then depending what it is creating 10th generation can also be quite a breakthrough. First IC had like 10 transistors, modern ones do billions and getting there probably require way more work, ideas and research than the original IC did. Things just don't improve in silos.