Makers of the microchip : a documentary history of Fairchild Semiconductor / Christophe Lecuyer and David C. Brock.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Lécuyer, Christophe.

Contributor:

Brock, David C.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Semiconductors--Design and construction--History.

Semiconductors.

Integrated circuits--Design and construction--History.

Integrated circuits.

Fairchild (Firm)--History.

Fairchild (Firm).

Fairchild (Firm)--Archives.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (327 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Mass. : MIT Press, c2010.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

In the first three and a half years of its existence, Fairchild Semiconductor developed, produced, and marketed the device that would become the fundamental building block of the digital world: the microchip. Founded in 1957 by eight former employees of the Schockley Semiconductor Laboratory, Fairchild created the model for a successful Silicon Valley start-up: intense activity with a common goal, close collaboration, and a quick path to the market (Fairchild's first device hit the market just ten months after the company's founding). Fairchild Semiconductor was one of the first companies financed by venture capital, and its success inspired the establishment of venture capital firms in the San Francisco Bay area. These firms would finance the explosive growth of Silicon Valley over the next several decades. This history of the early years of Fairchild Semiconductor examines the technological, business, and social dynamics behind its innovative products. The centerpiece of the book is a collection of documents, reproduced in facsimile, including the company's first prospectus; ideas, sketches, and plans for the company's products; and a notebook kept by cofounder Jay Last that records problems, schedules, and tasks discussed at weekly meetings. A historical overview, interpretive essays, and an introduction to semiconductor technology in the period accompany these primary documents.

Contents:

Contents; Foreword; Acknowledgments; Introduction; 1 Fairchild Semiconductor, Silicon Technology, and Military Computing; 2 Facsimiles and Interpretive Essays; Letter to Hayden Stone & Company; Entries in Personal Notebook, Pages 21, 23, and 246, 11, and 18 November 1957; Entry in Patent Notebook, 1 December 1957; Entry in Personal Notebook, Pages 30-31; Entry in Personal Notebook, Pages 35-37; Entry in Personal Notebook, Pages 47-48; Entry in Personal Notebook, Pages 50-52; Entry in Personal Notebook, Pages 53-57; Entry in Personal Notebook, Pages 63-65; Entry in Personal Notebook, Page 75

Internal Progress Report, 1 May 1958Entry in Personal Notebook, Page 80; Entry in Personal Notebook, Pages 86-90; Entry in Personal Notebook, Page 95; Entry in Personal Notebook, Pages 97-98; Print Advertisement by Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation, 10 August 1958; Entry in Personal Notebook, Pages 99-101; Entry in Personal Notebook, Pages 106-108; Patent Disclosure, 14 January 1959; Patent Disclosure, 20 January 1959; Entry in Patent Notebook, 23 January 1959; Entry in Personal Notebook, Pages 139-141; "New Products Steal the Show," Leadwire , volume 1, number 3

Internal Memorandum, 5 November 1959Leadwire , Volume 1, Number 5; Device Drawing; Entry in Patent Notebook, 23 February 1960; Entry in Patent Notebook, 26 May 1960; Entries in Patent Notebook, 7 August, 31 August, and 13 September 1960; Note on Micrologic Elements; Lecture Notes, 30 September 1960; Company Profile, Solid State Journal , Volume 1, Number 2, September- October 1960; Internal Progress Report, 1 October 1960; Internal Memorandum, 1 December 1961; Conclusion; Appendix; Notes; Bibliography; Index

Notes:

Description based on PDF viewed 12/23/2015.

Includes facsimilies of historical documents.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1-282-97844-6

9786612978449

0-262-28956-3

OCLC:

699487619