Chapter 1
The spark at Bell Labs
Chapter 2
The traitorous eight and silicon's debut
Chapter 3
Printing with light on a microscopic scale
Chapter 4
The global chip highway
YOUR GOAL
Master of From transistor to microchip
Ch 2 · The traitorous eight and silicon's debut
steve The Traitorous Eight
Eight sparked the Valley, Eight sparked the Valley, With silicon's magic, a new tech rally!
steve Fairchild Semiconductor acted as the parent tree for dozens of spin-off tech companies.
steve Robert Noyce and Jack Kilby independently figured out how to fit multiple components onto one chip.
Fun Fact
Silicon Valley name: Journalist Don Hoefler first used the term 'Silicon Valley' in print in 1971 in a weekly trade newspaper called Electronic News.
Glossary
silicon (noun)
A nonmetallic chemical element with semiconducting properties, widely used in making electronic circuits and microchips. In 1957, eight Shockley Semiconductor defectors founded Fairchild to manufacture the first commercial silicon transistors.
A nonmetallic chemical element with semiconducting properties, widely used in making electronic circuits and microchips. In 1957, eight Shockley Semiconductor defectors founded Fairchild to manufacture the first commercial silicon transistors.
Quiz
What nickname was given to the eight scientists who left Shockley Semiconductor in 1957?
Quiz
Which company did the Traitorous Eight found in 1957, sparking the rise of Silicon Valley?
Quiz
Which major microchip company was co-founded by Gordon Moore and Robert Noyce in 1968?
Quiz
What material did Robert Noyce use for his integrated circuit that made it easier to mass-produce than Kilby's?
Quiz
Which Fairchild co-founder developed the practical silicon integrated circuit and later co-founded Intel?