-
Robert E. Noyce, the "Mayor of Silicon Valley" is born in Burlington Iowa
Noyce was born to Reverend Ralph and Harriet Noyce, the third of four boys. (Berlin ch.1) Wiki Commons -
Graduates from Grinnell College
Noyce earned a double major in math and physics, and a Phi Beta Kapa key (Berlin, ch. 1)
Wiki Commons -
Takes first job as a research engineer at the Philco Corporation in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Noye worked with a research team that developed transistors. While he was employed with Philco, his wife Betty gave birth to their first child, Billy Noyce. (Berlin ch. 2) Wiki Commons -
Receives his PhD in physics from MIT
Noyce paid for his tuition and expenses by earning various scholarships and fellowships. He wrote his dissertation on “A Photoelectric Investigation of Surface States on Insulators.” He met and married Betty Bottomley during this time. (Berlin ch. 2) Wiki Commons -
Joins Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory
Noyce considered William Shockley "absolutely the most important person in semiconductor electronics.” After receiving a call from Shockley, Noyce moved his family to California to work with him. There he headed up a team of PhDs researching transistor development. (Berlin, ch. 3) Wiki Commons -
Co-founds Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation
Unhappy with Shockley's management style, Noyce left Shocklye Semiconductor Labs, along with 7 other men. Labeled the "traitorous eight", together they formed Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation. Their departure signaled the end of Shockley Labs. (Isaacson ch. 4) Wiki Commons -
Files for a patent on the microchip
Within 18 months of forming Fairchild, Noyce had filed for 7 patents. The most significant one was for a “Semiconductor Device-and-Lead Structure.” "John Bardeen, co-inventor of the transistor, would call it an invention “as important as the wheel.” (Berlin, ch. 5) Google Patents -
Receives Franklin Institute's Presitgious Stuart Ballantine Medal
Noyce shared the prestigious Ballantine Medal of the Franklin Institute, with electrical engineer Jack Kilby. It was presented to them "for their significant and essential contributions to the development of integrated circuits.” (Berlin, ch. 6) University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Liberal Arts and Sciences -
Co-founds Intel
Noyce left Fairchild and formed Intel with Gordon Moore, a member of the original traitorous eight. (Isaacson ch. 5) Britannica.com -
-
Oversees design of the first commercial microprocessor, the Intel 4004
On November 15, 1971, Intel announced its microprocessor with a bold advertisement proclaiming the arrival of “a new era of integrated electronics—a micro-programmable computer on a chip!” (Berlin, ch. 8) Wiki Commons -
Awarded Institution of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ Medal of Honor
-
-
-
-
Awarded the National Medal of Technology by President Ronald Reagan
-
Leaves retirement to run SEMATECH
SEMATECH was a cooperative research consortium of semiconductor companies, in partnership with the Department of Defense. DARPA.mil -
Inducted into the U.S. Business Hall of Fame
-
The Noyce Foundation founded
"The Noyce Foundation was created by the Noyce family in 1990 to honor the memory and legacy of Dr. Robert N. Noyce, co-founder of Intel and inventor of the integrated circuit which fueled the personal computer revolution and gave Silicon Valley its name." (NCFP.org) -
Noyce dies
Noyce passed away in his sleep at 62, suffering a massive heart attack. (Berlin, ch. 12) nytimes.com -
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
