The 10 Most Famous People in the History of Integrated Circuits

Throughout the history of integrated circuits, many individuals have made outstanding contributions. As we enjoy the profound transformations that integrated-circuit technology has brought to our lives and production, let’s not forget those who played pivotal roles and made remarkable contributions to the advancement of integrated circuits. Below, we’ve selected some key figures from the annals of integrated-circuit development. 10 The most famous figure recommended to everyone.

1, 2, 3. Shockley, Bardeen, and Brattain The inventor of the transistor

The transistor is the fundamental building block of integrated circuits. Without the invention of the transistor, the development of integrated circuits would have been impossible. Therefore, we place Shockley, Bardeen, and Brattain at the top of the list of legendary figures in the history of integrated circuit development.

Shockley (left), Bardeen (center), Brattain (right)

1946 In that year, Bell Labs in the United States decided to launch research on semiconductors. The semiconductor research project was proposed by Shockley, who believed that Bell Labs should strengthen its fundamental research in solid-state physics. His proposal received strong support from Kelly, the director of the laboratory, who then tasked Shockley with setting up a semiconductor research group. The group’s members included Brattain, Bardeen, and other scientists. Shockley specialized in theoretical research, Bardeen was a master at applying fundamental theories to solve practical problems, and Brattain excelled at skillfully conducting various experiments. The research group selected semiconductors such as silicon and germanium as their research subjects, aiming to develop an electronic device that could overcome the shortcomings of vacuum tubes and provide amplification. Under Shockley’s theoretical guidance, Bardeen and Brattain... 1947 Year 12 In the month of [month], the world's first point-contact transistor was developed. The invention of the transistor marked a groundbreaking milestone in the history of electronic technology, ushering in an entirely new era—the era of solid-state electronics. The transistor’s invention laid the foundation for modern electronic technology, opened the door to microelectronics and the information age, and inaugurated humanity’s “Silicon Age.” The profound impact and enormous driving force that the technological revolution triggered by the transistor have had on society are unparalleled in history.

1956 In that year, Shockley, Bardeen, and Brattain jointly received the Nobel Prize in Physics for their invention of the transistor. Among them, Bardeen... 1957 The year also saw the proposal of the theory of low-temperature superconductivity. (BCS Theory ) For this, he was awarded. 1972 The Nobel Prize in Physics, in the same field ( Solid-state theory ) Among them, it is the first time in history that a person has won the Nobel Prize twice.

Of these three individuals, Shockley is probably the most familiar to everyone. Known as the “Father of the Transistor,” he leveraged his fame to recruit a group of outstanding young scientists—including the renowned “Eight Treasoners”—laying the foundation for the subsequent establishment of many well-known semiconductor companies, such as Fairchild Semiconductor and Intel.

4.  Jack Kilby (Jack S. Kilby) The Father of Integrated Circuits

Jack • Kirby ( Jack Kilby ，1923 Year 11 Moon 8 Day - 2005 Year 6 Moon 20 Day).

1947 Year 12 Moon 23 The first transistor was born at Bell Labs, marking humanity’s entry into a rapidly advancing electronic age. But for Kilby, who had been fascinated by electronics since childhood, this wasn’t necessarily a good thing: the invention of the transistor rendered all the vacuum-tube technology courses he’d taken in college obsolete. Yet this did not diminish the young man’s passion for electronics—in fact, it only strengthened his resolve to pursue his chosen path.

Perhaps this is destiny—ten years after the invention of the transistor. 1958 Year, 34 At the age of [age], Kilby joined Texas Instruments. Speaking about why he chose Texas Instruments in the first place, Kilby casually remarked: “Because it was the only company that allowed me to devote nearly all my time to researching the miniaturization of electronic devices, providing me with ample time and excellent experimental conditions.” It was precisely this nurturing environment at Texas Instruments that gave rise to Kilby’s unparalleled achievements.

Although engineers of that era were greatly inspired by the invention of the transistor and began experimenting with designing high-speed computers, the problems had not yet been fully solved: electronic devices assembled from transistors were still far too bulky. The circuits designed by engineers required miles of wiring and millions of soldered connections, making their construction incredibly challenging. As for owning a computer personally, that was an even more distant dream. In response to this situation, Kilby proposed a bold idea: “Could we place all electronic components—such as resistors, capacitors, and transistors—onto a single semiconductor chip?” ? This would significantly reduce the overall size of the circuit, so the newly arrived engineer began experimenting with a simple integrated circuit called a phase-shift oscillator.

1958 Year 9 Moon 12 On that day, Kilby developed the world’s first integrated circuit, successfully realizing the concept of integrating electronic components onto a single semiconductor material—and it passed inspection by senior management at Texas Instruments. Let us remember this day: the integrated circuit replaced the transistor, paving the way for the development of a wide range of electronic device functions and dramatically reducing costs. This breakthrough made the emergence of microprocessors possible, ushering in a new era in the history of electronic technology and making today’s ubiquitous electronic devices a reality.

Great inventions and great figures will always be validated and remembered by history. 2000 In that year, Kilby received the Nobel Prize in Physics for his invention of the integrated circuit. This honor, having stood the test of time for forty-two years, has become even more precious—and it represents humanity’s full recognition of Kilby’s groundbreaking invention. The Nobel Prize Committee’s assessment was straightforward: “It laid the foundation for modern information technology.”

“I believe there are a few individuals whose work has transformed the entire world—and our way of life—Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, the Wright brothers, and Jack Kilby. If there’s one invention that not only revolutionized our industry but also reshaped the world we live in, it’s the integrated circuit, invented by Jack.” Perhaps Tom Engibous, Chairman of the Board at Texas Instruments, captured Kilby’s contribution most succinctly and powerfully in his assessment. Today, Kilby’s photo hangs side by side with Edison’s in the National Inventors Hall of Fame.

5.  Robert Noyce (Robert Noyce) A dual giant in science and business

Robert Noyce, One of the “Eight Rebels” He was a prodigy in both the scientific and business worlds. Building on Kilby’s work, he invented the commercially viable integrated circuit, ushering the semiconductor industry from the “age of invention” into the “age of commercialization.” At the same time, he co-founded two of Silicon Valley’s greatest companies—one of which was once known as the “Huangpu Military Academy” of the semiconductor industry. - Fairy child (Fairchild) The company is Intel, one of the world’s largest technology giants in the design and manufacture of semiconductors today.

Robert Noyce, who lived during the Great Depression in the United States, has always embraced the “do-it-yourself” philosophy. 12 At the age of, he and his second older brother built a hang glider themselves. 13 At the age of [age not specified], they built a car using an old gasoline engine that had been discarded from their home washing machine. They even teamed up with friends to construct a rudimentary radio transceiver, enabling them to send messages to each other. Of course, the greatest invention of Noyce’s life was the commercially viable integrated circuit.

1959 Year 7 In the month, Noyce developed a diffusion technique for silicon dioxide. PN He developed isolation techniques and creatively fabricated aluminum strip interconnections directly on the oxide layer, integrating the components and wiring into a single unit. This laid a solid foundation for the planar fabrication process of semiconductor integrated circuits and enabled large-scale industrial production. Unlike Kilby, who initially developed integrated circuits on germanium wafers, Noyce set his sights squarely on silicon. - One of the most abundant elements on Earth, it boasts greater commercial value and lower costs. Since then, a vast number of semiconductor devices have been manufactured and brought to market, venture capital has begun to emerge, and semiconductor start-ups have sprung up. More functional and complex integrated circuits have been invented, marking the semiconductor industry’s transition from the “age of invention” to the “age of commercialization.”

Of course, in this “commercial era,” Noyce also achieved his greatest accomplishment: 1968 In that year, Noyce left what had once been known as the "Whampoa Military Academy" of the semiconductor industry. - Fairy child (Fairchild) Company ( giving rise to companies including Intel, AMD , renowned semiconductor companies today such as National Semiconductor of the United States ) With Gordon - Moore, Andy - Grove co-founded Intel. (Intel) 。

1971 Year, Noys was in... Intel Successfully on a piece 12 Integrated on a square millimeter chip 2300 A single transistor was used to create a programmable computing chip that includes an arithmetic unit and a controller—what we now call the central processing unit. (CPU) Also known as the microprocessor, this is also the world’s first microprocessor— 4004 Intel has begun. (Intel) Rapidly developing, from 1968 Its annual revenue was zero until today, when it surpassed 35 billion U.S. dollars in turnover.

It’s truly rare for someone to successfully navigate both the scientific and corporate worlds and ultimately achieve remarkable success—and yet, Noyce did just that. He has become an iconic figure in the semiconductor industry, widely respected and affectionately referred to as the “Mayor of Silicon Valley.” The accomplishments of this “Mayor of Silicon Valley” have since become the guiding aspiration for engineers in the semiconductor industry, driving them to strive relentlessly day and night.

6.  Joan Hurney (Jean Hoern)   Laid the foundation for silicon's status as a key material in the electronics industry.

Joan Harny, one of the “Eight Rebels.” 1924 Born in Switzerland, he/she obtained doctoral degrees from the University of Cambridge and the University of Geneva, respectively. 1952 In that year, he moved to the United States and began working at Caltech, where he was highly regarded by William Shockley. Several years later, he joined Shockley Semiconductor. However, unable to tolerate Shockley’s patriarchal style, he... 1957 Year 9 In the month of [month], eight key engineers—including Gordon Moore—resigned from Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory. Shockley was both shocked and furious, labeling them “the Eight Traitors.” These Eight Traitors later played an extremely important role in the development of Silicon Valley. They went on to found Fairchild Semiconductor. Fairchild ), 1959 Year, Jean Hoerni He invented the planar process, employing a technique known as optical etching—a method somewhat analogous to the photographic development process using a negative film. Initially, he used a wafer made of germanium or silicon. Then, he sprayed a layer of a substance called photoresist onto its surface. When light is shone onto the photoresist, it hardens; afterward, a special chemical can be used to remove the photoresist that hasn’t been exposed to light. Thus, Hearn created a photomask—much like a photographic negative—with an array of tiny openings that serve to filter out impurities, allowing the mask to be exposed to light. After the chemical wash, wherever the photoresist remains on the metal substrate, impurities will not contaminate the underlying layers. This breakthrough solved the reliability issues associated with planar transistors and thereby brought about a revolutionary transformation in semiconductor manufacturing. It can truly be described as “…” 20 “One of the most significant achievements of the century,” and noted that it laid the foundation for silicon’s status as a key material in the electronics industry.

7.  Gordon Moore (Gordon Moore) The law of one person, one industry.

One of Gordon Moore’s “Eight Rebels” 。1929 Year 1 Moon 3 On that day, Gordon Moore was born in a small town south of San Francisco.

Today IT There’s a myth in the industry—a myth that there’s a single law that can propel a company to the pinnacle of success. That law is “Moore’s Law,” and the company in question is— Intel The discoverer of this law is none other than the world itself. CPU Market Dominator Intel Gordon Moore, one of the company’s founders.

1954 Received a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry in the year [year], 1956 Together with Noyce, he co-founded the legendary Fairchild. (Fairchild) The company is primarily responsible for technological research and development. 1968 After the year in Neuss when he resigned, Gordon Moore followed him and together they founded... Intel, 1975 Became the company’s president and CEO 。

1965 One year, one day Moore left the silicon wafer workshop, sat down, took a ruler and a sheet of paper, and sketched a diagram. The vertical axis represented the continually advancing chips, while the horizontal axis stood for time—and the result was a remarkably regular geometric growth. This discovery was published in that year’s issue of [publication name]. 35 in the journal "Electronics." This serendipitous work has also become the most significant paper in the history of semiconductors to date. Moore pointed out that the circuit density of microprocessor chips—and their potential computing power—doubles every year. This observation later became famously known as Moore's Law. IT The nascent form of Moore’s Law in the field. To make this description more precise, 1975 In that year, Moore made some adjustments, changing the doubling time from one year to two years. In fact, the more accurate figure later turned out to be the average of the two: 18 months. " Moore's Law " Rather than being merely a concise law of natural science, Intel—by embracing it as a guiding principle for development—has achieved tremendous commercial success. The microprocessor has become the quintessential embodiment of Moore’s Law, and with it, Moore himself has reaped both fame and fortune, passing them on every few years. 18 Doubles in a month.

At that time, integrated circuits had just been introduced. 6 year. Moore’s lab can only... 50 Only transistors and resistors are integrated onto a single chip. At the time, Moore’s prediction sounded like science fiction. ; Since then, numerous technology experts have repeatedly argued that chip integration has “reached its limit.” However, reality has proven Moore’s prediction to be accurate—today’s most advanced integrated circuits, following Moore’s Law, already contain more than... 17 One hundred million transistors.

The greatness of Moore’s Law lies not only in its role in driving Intel’s tremendous commercial success; engineers in the semiconductor industry have followed this law, ensuring that every... 18 Doubling the number of transistors every month means that chips with the same performance will, for each... 18 In just a few months, the volume can be reduced by half, and the cost can be cut in half as well. It’s also fair to say that Moore’s Law has enabled electronic devices in our daily lives to become increasingly powerful, lighter, thinner, and more compact—and at lower prices.

1990 Moore, now retired, received the U.S. National Medal of Technology from former U.S. President Bush. Today, his name resonates in the hearts of everyone in the semiconductor industry—just as his “Moore’s Law” has done. Moore’s Law is like an irresistible natural force that has dominated the Silicon Valley and the global computer industry for over thirty years.

8.  Andy Grove (Andy Grove)   The Arrogant Hungarian, King of Microprocessors

“ Only the paranoid survive. “Only the paranoid can survive.” It was Andy Grove who said that.

Do you remember life before computers? ? It’s fair to say that without Intel’s microprocessors, even ten thousand young, brash, and exceptionally talented Bill Gates wouldn’t have been able to make a difference. From... 1987 took over Intel's CEO Following in the footsteps of his predecessors, he continuously employed strategic thinking—breaking with tradition and challenging existing logic—to keep the microprocessor—the heart of the digital revolution—pulsing with vigor and providing an endless source of power for the digital age. Likewise, without Andy Grove, there would be no Intel—the most successful semiconductor company of today.

Enter 20 Century 80 Over time, as the U.S. economy entered a downturn and Japanese competitors launched an increasingly aggressive offensive, Intel’s storage business ultimately found itself mired in serious difficulties, with financial operations grinding to a halt and inventory piling up to astronomical levels.

1986 Gordon Moore’s new slogan—“Intel, the Microprocessor Company”—marked a decisive shift away from the memory business, redirecting Intel’s core focus entirely toward microprocessors. It was precisely this strategic decision that enabled Intel to smoothly navigate the “valley of death” during the memory industry’s downturn, propelling Intel from being a second-tier player... Dynamic Random Access Memory The manufacturer has transformed into a monopolistic entity. CPU Manufacturer.

In the same year, Intel launched... 386 The series of processors has been successively launched. 486 The Pentium series of central processors has seen ever-increasing performance and faster speeds. Even the days of simple single-core processors are long gone—dual-core and quad-core processors have gradually become commonplace, ushering in the era of personal computers. Printed with “ Intel Inside The processor with the brand logo has become the world’s... 80% The heart of the computer, Intel Inside Once hailed as the gold standard of this industry, it has resonated globally and is transforming the world.

9.  Hu Zhengming FinFET The inventor of various new structural devices

1947 Born in Douyacai Hutong, Beijing, his academic career began at the University of California, Berkeley. 1973 He earned his Ph.D. at Berkeley and has since been engaged in the development and miniaturization research of semiconductor devices.

Professor Hu Zhengming is a key pioneer in the research on the physics of microelectronics miniaturization and the physics of device reliability, making significant contributions to the development of semiconductor devices and their future miniaturization. His major scientific and technological achievements include leading the research that resulted in: BSIM , from the practical MOSFET The complex physical derivations of transistors led to a mathematical model, which was... 1997 The year was internationally... 38 The transistor model council, in which major companies participated, was selected as the first and only international standard for chip design; an invention that has attracted significant international attention. FinFET and various other novel structural devices; has made outstanding contributions to the physical study of microelectronic device reliability: first proposed the physical mechanism underlying hot-electron failure, developed a method for rapidly predicting device lifetime using impact ionization current, and also proposed the physical mechanism behind thin-oxide-layer failure as well as a method for rapidly predicting the lifetime of thin oxide layers using high voltage. Pioneered a new approach based on the physics of device reliability. IC A reliable computer numerical simulation tool.

As a leading semiconductor expert, Professor Hu Zhengming has made outstanding contributions; he is... IEEE Fellow Member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering and Foreign Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. Currently employed at TSMC. Chief Technology Officer At the time, it was awarded “Taiwan’s No. 1.” Chief Technology Officer a well-deserved nickname. Yet Hu Zhengming is a true reclusive master—unattached to fame and fortune—who has devoted his entire life to the semiconductor industry, which he loves most, doing so without any regrets. As he himself puts it, “If I were to choose my career all over again today, I’d still choose the semiconductor industry.” 2010 After the Chinese New Year, lasting for decades Bulk CMOS Process technology in 20nm At the end of the road, Professor Hu is. 20 Exploring and inventing since the beginning of the year FinFET and FD-SOI Process technology has become one of only two critical choices in the semiconductor industry. Thanks to his two groundbreaking inventions, Moore’s Law continues to write its legendary story even today.

10.  Morris Chang The Creator of the Integrated Circuit Foundry Industry

One person defined an entire industry; one person ushered in a new era of contract manufacturing; and one person injected greater vitality into the entire integrated circuit industry—this person is Morris Chang.

27 Zhang Zhongmou, who is [age] years old, works at Texas Instruments and has been there ever since. 25 Year. 1985 In that year, at the invitation of Taiwan, Morris Chang resigned from his high-paying position in the United States and returned to Taiwan to serve as the director of the Industrial Technology Research Institute, dedicating himself to the rise and industrial upgrading of Taiwan’s semiconductor industry. 1987 Founded the world’s first specialized contract manufacturing company—Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. ( TSMC ) Pioneered the era of semiconductor foundry services.

Before TSMC, the business model in the integrated circuit industry was always the same: all integrated circuits were designed and manufactured entirely in-house. Intel Companies like Samsung integrate chip design and manufacturing into a single entity—comprehensive yet bulky and unwieldy. It is precisely this large-scale, all-in-one approach to design and production that has led to high costs and high barriers to entry, thereby slowing down the pace of the entire integrated circuit industry.

Seeing this business opportunity, Morris Chang boldly became the first “pure-play” wafer foundry—focusing on helping semiconductor companies manufacture already-designed integrated circuits without competing directly with their customers, nor designing or producing its own integrated circuits. It was precisely this business model that brought TSMC enormous wealth while also giving rise to two entirely new industries. - Wafer foundry, Fabless ( Fabless integrated circuit design company ) By eliminating the costly wafer fabrication stage, the overall barrier to entry in the integrated circuit industry has been lowered, giving rise to a large number of vibrant, newly established integrated circuit design companies that have injected fresh energy and creativity into the entire industry.

2007 This year, Intel announced that it will be producing simultaneously with TSMC. 45 Chips manufactured using nanometer-scale processes. This marks TSMC’s remarkable reliability in technological advancement—so much so that even global chip giants like Intel have decided to halt or slow down their own pace of process technology development, shifting more of their focus to R&D in advanced technologies. Meanwhile, traditional chip companies... NXP Texas Instruments also announced that it will discontinue the development of certain chip manufacturing technologies and instead turn to Asian wafer foundries such as TSMC for chip production. The era of highly specialized integrated circuit manufacturing has fully arrived, and a brand-new, more dynamic integrated circuit industry is now unfolding before us.