Fairchild Semiconductor, founded in 1957 by eight scientists including Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore, is a significant player in the semiconductor industry. Headquartered in South Portland, Maine, USA, it has a rich history.
In its early days, it secured an IBM order for silicon transistors and grew rapidly. It made key technological contributions like planar processing for transistors, competing with Texas Instruments for the integrated - circuit invention rights. It also had many industry firsts, such as the first planar silicon integrated circuit.
Over time, due to various ownership changes, it faced ups and downs. In 2017, it was acquired by ON Semiconductor.
Fairchild Semiconductor was a global leader in supplying high - performance power products for computing, communications, consumer, industrial, and automotive electronics. Its technologies and the talent it nurtured, with many ex - employees founding companies like Intel and AMD, greatly influenced the semiconductor industry and Silicon Valley's development.