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Makers of the Microchip

A Documentary History of Fairchild Semiconductor

Author Christophe Lecuyer, David C. Brock
Foreword by Jay Last
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Paperback
$40.00 US
The MIT Press
On sale Oct 25, 2022 | 328 Pages | 9780262546263
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The first years of the company that developed the microchip and created the model for a successful Silicon Valley start-up.

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.
Foreword by Jay Last vii
Acknowledgments xiii

Introduction 1
1 Fairchild Semiconductor, Silicon Technology, and Military Computing 9
2 Facsimiles and Interpretive Essays 45
Letter to Hayden Stone & Company, June 1957, Eugene and Rose Kleiner 45
Entries in Personal Notebook, 6, 11, and 18 November 1957, Jay Last 51
Entry in Patent Notebook, 1 December 1957, Jean Hoerni 59
Entry in Patent Notebook, 9 December 1957, Jay Last 65
Entry in Personal Notebook, 2 January 1958, Jay Last 69
Entry in Personal Notebook, 10 February 1958, Jay Last 76
Entry in Personal Notebook, 17 February 1958, Jay Last 80
Entry in Personal Notebook, 24 February 1958, Jay Last 87
Entry in Personal Notebook, 10 March 1958, Jay Last 95
Entry in Personal Notebook, 17 April 1958, Jay Last 101
Internal Progress Report, 1 May 1958, Gordon Moore 105
Entry in Personal Notebook, 7 May 1958, Jay Last 111
Entry in Personal Notebook, 27 May 1958, Jay Last 114
Entry in Personal Notebook, 30 June 1958, Jay Last 121
Entry in Personal Notebook, 5 August 1958, Jay Last 123
Print Advertisement by Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation, 10 August 1958 127
Entry in Personal Notebook, 25 August 1958, Jay Last 130
Entry in Personal Notebook, 15 September 1958, Jay Last 135
Patent Disclosure, 14 January 1959, Jean Hoerni 141
Patent Disclosure, 20 January 1959, Jean Hoerni 146
Entry in Patent Notebook, 23 January 1959, Robert Noyce 150
Entry in Personal Notebook, 18 March 1959, Jay Last 162
"New Products Steal the Show," Leadwire, September 1959 168
Internal Memorandum, 5 November 1959, Gordon Moore 171
Leadwire, Volume 1, Number 5, November 1959 180
Device Drawing, 22 December 1959, Lionel Kattner 186
Entry in Patent Notebook, 23 February 1960, Jay Last 190
Entry in Patent Notebook, 26 May 1960, Lionel Kattner 193
Entries in Patent Notebook, 7 August, 31 August, and 13 September 1960, Isy Haas 199
Note on Micrologic Elements, 22 September 1960, Robert Norman 205
Lecture Notes, 30 September 1960, Jay Last 210
Company Profile, Solid State Journal, September-October 1960 216
Internal Progress Report, 1 October 1960, Jay Last 223
Internal Memorandum, 1 December 1961, Robert Graham 229

Conclusion 233
Appendix: Semiconductor Technology in the Late 1950s and the Early 1960s 241
Notes 265
Bibliography 295
Index 307
Christophe Lécuyer is Professor of the History of Science and Technology at Université Pierre et Marie Curie and the author of Making Silicon Valley: Innovation and the Growth of High Tech, 1930-1970 (MIT Press, 2005).

David C. Brock is Senior Research Fellow at the Chemical Heritage Foundation's Center for Contemporary History and the editor of Understanding Moore's Law: Four Decades of Innovation.
Christophe Lecuyer View titles by Christophe Lecuyer
David C. Brock View titles by David C. Brock

About

The first years of the company that developed the microchip and created the model for a successful Silicon Valley start-up.

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.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Jay Last vii
Acknowledgments xiii

Introduction 1
1 Fairchild Semiconductor, Silicon Technology, and Military Computing 9
2 Facsimiles and Interpretive Essays 45
Letter to Hayden Stone & Company, June 1957, Eugene and Rose Kleiner 45
Entries in Personal Notebook, 6, 11, and 18 November 1957, Jay Last 51
Entry in Patent Notebook, 1 December 1957, Jean Hoerni 59
Entry in Patent Notebook, 9 December 1957, Jay Last 65
Entry in Personal Notebook, 2 January 1958, Jay Last 69
Entry in Personal Notebook, 10 February 1958, Jay Last 76
Entry in Personal Notebook, 17 February 1958, Jay Last 80
Entry in Personal Notebook, 24 February 1958, Jay Last 87
Entry in Personal Notebook, 10 March 1958, Jay Last 95
Entry in Personal Notebook, 17 April 1958, Jay Last 101
Internal Progress Report, 1 May 1958, Gordon Moore 105
Entry in Personal Notebook, 7 May 1958, Jay Last 111
Entry in Personal Notebook, 27 May 1958, Jay Last 114
Entry in Personal Notebook, 30 June 1958, Jay Last 121
Entry in Personal Notebook, 5 August 1958, Jay Last 123
Print Advertisement by Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation, 10 August 1958 127
Entry in Personal Notebook, 25 August 1958, Jay Last 130
Entry in Personal Notebook, 15 September 1958, Jay Last 135
Patent Disclosure, 14 January 1959, Jean Hoerni 141
Patent Disclosure, 20 January 1959, Jean Hoerni 146
Entry in Patent Notebook, 23 January 1959, Robert Noyce 150
Entry in Personal Notebook, 18 March 1959, Jay Last 162
"New Products Steal the Show," Leadwire, September 1959 168
Internal Memorandum, 5 November 1959, Gordon Moore 171
Leadwire, Volume 1, Number 5, November 1959 180
Device Drawing, 22 December 1959, Lionel Kattner 186
Entry in Patent Notebook, 23 February 1960, Jay Last 190
Entry in Patent Notebook, 26 May 1960, Lionel Kattner 193
Entries in Patent Notebook, 7 August, 31 August, and 13 September 1960, Isy Haas 199
Note on Micrologic Elements, 22 September 1960, Robert Norman 205
Lecture Notes, 30 September 1960, Jay Last 210
Company Profile, Solid State Journal, September-October 1960 216
Internal Progress Report, 1 October 1960, Jay Last 223
Internal Memorandum, 1 December 1961, Robert Graham 229

Conclusion 233
Appendix: Semiconductor Technology in the Late 1950s and the Early 1960s 241
Notes 265
Bibliography 295
Index 307

Author

Christophe Lécuyer is Professor of the History of Science and Technology at Université Pierre et Marie Curie and the author of Making Silicon Valley: Innovation and the Growth of High Tech, 1930-1970 (MIT Press, 2005).

David C. Brock is Senior Research Fellow at the Chemical Heritage Foundation's Center for Contemporary History and the editor of Understanding Moore's Law: Four Decades of Innovation.
Christophe Lecuyer View titles by Christophe Lecuyer
David C. Brock View titles by David C. Brock

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