Michael Faraday publishes work on semiconductors
While conducting experiments on the effect of temperature on the electrical conductivity
of silver sulphide English scientist Michael Faraday found that the material's conductivity
increased with temperature. This effect is typical of semiconductors the material
of choice for the chip industry. Faraday records his observations in his book Experimental
Researches in Electricity.
Julius Lilienfield patents a device that will become known as the transistor.
PolishAmerican physicist Julius Lilienfeld filed a patent in 1926 followed by two
others in 1928 for a threeelectrode device made from coppersulphide. The device would
today be a fieldeffect transistor the building block of silicon chips.
Colossus computer unveiled.
The Colossus computer was built by British codebreakers to help decipher messages
between the German highcommand. It crucially found the keys to break the Lorenz code
used by Hitler to encrypt messages to his generals. The machine used the precursor
of transistors vacuum tubes. It was the precursor of other machines such as the Electronic
Numerical Integrator And Computer ENIAC unveiled at the University of Pennsylvania
in 1947.
Transistor invented
After 18 months of work John Bardeen and Walter Brattain working under William Shockley
show off the first transistor to bosses at Bell Labs New Jersey. The device a point
contact transistor was made of germanium and kickstarted the "transistor revolution".
European scientists independently invent the transistor
Herbert Matare and Heinrich Welker independently create a germanium pointcontact
transistor whilst working at the Compagnie des Freins et Signaux in France. In July
the German scientists learnt that Bell Labs had beaten them to the invention six
months earlier.
Bell Labs publicly announce its invention.
The transistor is publicly announced at a press conference in New York It is named
by electrical engineer John Pierce.
First transistor based commercial product hits the market
Towards the end of 1952 the first consumer products to use transistors went on sale.
The first was a hearing aid from Sonotone rapidly followed by handheld transistor
radios. 1953 was dubbed "the year of the transistor".
First transistor based computer built.
Richard Grimsdale and Douglas Webb working with Tom Kilburn at the University of
Manchester demonstrated a prototype computer built with transistors. The experimental
machine went on to become the Metrovick 950 the first commercial transistorised computer
built from 1959 onwards by MetropolitanVickers. Seven machines were built.
First silicon transistor built.
Bell Labs chemist Morris Tanenbaum builds the first silicon transistors the basis
of today's chips. But the firm does not go into commercial production allowing rival
Texas Instruments to build the first commercial devices later in the year.
Modern mass manufacturing techniques introduced.
Bell Labs develops the "oxide masking" technique for the fabrication of transistors.
This technique for building circuits layeruponlayer has been refined but is still
used to make today's chips.
Foundations of Silicon Valley laid.
William Shockley leaves Bell Labs and sets up Shockley Semiconductors at 391 San
Antonio Road in Mountain View California. Among his first recruits are Gordon Moore
and Robert Noyce who went on to found Intel. The company starts developing silicon
devices.
Nobel Prizes recognise transistor research
William Shockley John Bardeen and Walter Brattain are awarded the Nobel Prize in
Physics "for their researches on semiconductors and their discovery of the transistor
effect".
Silicon industry takes off.
The so called "Traitorous eight" leave Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory to set up
Fairchild Semiconductors. It becomes the first company to work exclusively with silicon.
In the same year the semiconductor industry is worth more than 100 million for the
first time.
First integrated circuit shown.
Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments demonstrates the first integrated circuit the basis
of modern chips. Integrated circuits are tiny circuits manufactured directly onto
a semiconductor surface. Texas Instruments announce the device at a press conference
in March 1959.
Chip production process invented.
Fairchild Semiconductor's Jean Hoerni develops the "planar process" for fabricating
silicon chips. Later in the year his colleague Robert Noyce commercializes the process
of making integrated circuits allowing silicon chips to be manufactured in high volumes
for the first time.
Moores Law published
Intel founder Gordon Moore's paper "Cramming more components onto integrated circuits"
is published in Electronics Magazine. In the article he predicts that the number
of transistors on a chip will double every year for the next ten years. he revises
his prediction in 1975 to doubling every twenty four months. The prediction has become
a self-fulfilling prophecy and still drives the industry today.
First personal computer is announced
HewlettPackard introduces the term "Personal Computer" in an advert for the 911A
calculator in Science magazine.
First microprocessor goes on sale.
Intel launch the 4004 the first commercial microprocessor. It contained 2300 transistors
and had roughly the same power as the ENIAC computer. The machine had a speed of
108kHz 2000 times slower than today's chips. It was designed for the Busicom calculator.
Altair 8800 computer launched
Although not the first personal computer the Altair 8800 was an unexpected success
selling several thousand in the first year. The PC was the first machine to run Microsoft
software Altair BASIC. It was sold as a kit through Popular Electronics magazine.
Moores Law revised
After 10 years of rapid progress in the chip industry Gordon Moore revises his "law".
The new prediction states that the number of transistors on a chip will double every
24 months rather than every 12.
Apple1 computer launched
The Apple1 was a personal computer designed by Steve Wozniak. it was first shown
off at the Homebrew Computer Club in Palo Alto. Wozniak's friend Steve Jobs had the
idea of selling the computer and it went on sale in July 1976 at a price of 666.66.
About 200 units were produced. To make a working computer users had to add a case
power supply keyboard and display.
IBM launches its business PC
IBM introduces the 5150 its first desktop PCs. It wasn't the firm's first attempt
to introduce a PC but it was its most successful. The machine had just 16K or memory
and used an audio cassette to load and save data. Many people believe the machine
kickstarted the personal computer revolution.
First microprocessor with a million transistors.
Intel introduces the 486 microprocessor. The device contains 1200000 transistors
and runs at a speed of 50MHz 40 times slower than today's chips.
First Gigahertz processor released.
Intel rival Advanced Micro Devices AMD launch the Athlon chip the first commercial
processor to run at speeds of 1GHz or 1 billion calculations per second.
Nobel Prizes recognize chip technology
The Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded to Jack Kilby "for his part in the invention
of the integrated circuit" 42 years after the technology was invented.
IBM introduces the first multicore chip.
The first chip to use multiple cores is released. The IBM POWER4 is for use in highend
servers. Each core is effectively a programmable chip in its own right.
The Cell processor is launched.
The powerful chip that drives the PlayStation 3 is launched in San Francisco. The
Cell consists of eight cores and runs 10times faster than other PC chips on the market.
It is the result of research by Sony IBM and Toshiba.
Updated on ... June 18, 2008