Interesting fact, the term tape out comes from the way chips were physically laid out back in the early days. The chip layout was manually arranged using pieces

Interesting fact, the term tape out comes from the way chips were physically laid out back in the early days. The chip layout was manually arranged using pieces of coloured tape on a large workspace/table. Once complete, this was photographed a layer at a time, which was then optically reduced to create the mask sets for manufacture. We still use the term tape out today, but no tape involved. I would love to have an experience of designing back during those days, it's so hands on.