What are your expectations from this learning journey?

The Pentium M 725 in the second picture (rightmost square) was state-of-the-art in 2004. Their dramatically decreased power draw over the huge and hot Pentium 4-Ms enabled mobile PCs to become smaller, lighter, and made the Tablet PC a viable reality. The Tablet PC is the direct forerunner of the iPad, Galaxy Tab and countless other slates on sale today. What I aim to learn is how Intel and Applied Materials managed to go from the 725 to the i7-720QM (in the first picture). How were nearly 10 times the number of transistors fitted onto a piece of silicon of around the same size? How did silicon lithography move from 90nm to 45 and now 22nm? What major architectural changes were made to make these chips more efficient, more powerful? I aim to answer all these questions.

Also, I would like to see what a day in the life of a employee at Intel and Applied Materials is like, since I genuinely would like to join them one day. It would offer me a glimpse of what skills are required, and what problems are solved on a daily basis.

I would also like to be exposed to the whole process of manufacturing the various parts which I come into contact with, from sand to silicon to wafers to Core i7s. Majority of "geeks" are only really knowledgeable about the end product, but I aspire to be different, to know the whole process, because that is just as important, if not more than just the end product.