Robert N. Noyce, 1927 - 1990

Robert Noyce's career has been closely interwoven with the development and flowering of the integrated circuit and the industry it created. Not only was he responsible for key inventions that made the integrated circuit practical, but he founded and managed two of the major companies manufacturing integrated circuits today. It is unusual for a single individual to have a major impact on both an invention and the growth of the industry resulting from the invention.

Noyce was born in Burlington, Iowa, on 12 December 1927. He received his B.A. degree and membership in Phi Beta Kappa at Grinnell (Iowa) College in 1949, and his Ph.D. degree in Physical Electronics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1953.

Upon completion of his schooling, he joined the Research Division of Philco Corporation where he worked mainly in developing high performance germanium surface barrier transistors. He joined the Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory of Beckmann Instruments in Palo Alto, California, shortly after its formation in 1956. Here he worked toward the realization of diffused silicon devices.

In 1957 Noyce was one of the founders of Fairchild Semiconductor where, as Director of Research, he was responsible for the activities that resulted in the commercial realization of the double-diffused mesa and planar silicon transistors. It was during this period that his basic contributions to the practical integrated circuit were conceived. In 1959 he became General Manager of the Fairchild semiconductor operation and a Vice President of the Fairchild Camera and Instrument Corporation. From this position he was able to see his inventions incorporated into an ever-widening spectrum of integrated electronic functions.

In 1968 Noyce decided to begin again joining with a few of his colleagues to found Intel Corporation where he served as President until 1975 when he became Chairman of the Board. Intel was founded to make large scale integrated electronics a reality.

He holds 16 patents on semiconductor methods, devices and structures, including applications of photoengraving to semiconductors, and diffused- junction isolation for IC's. He also holds the basic patent relating to metal interconnect schemes.

Noyce has been cited by the National Association of Manufacturers, "In recognition of a distinguished contribution to the well being of mankind through scientific research and development," and was co-recipient of the Stuart Ballantine medal from the Franklin Institute for his, "Contributions to the development of integrated circuits." He was a co-recipient of the Cledo Brunetti Award in 1978, "For contributions to miniaturization through inventions and the development of integrated circuits."He received the IEEE Medal of Honor in 1978, "For his contributions to the silicon integrated circuit, a cornerstone of modern electronics."

Noyce was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1969 and is a Fellow of the IEEE. He has served on the Board of Trustees of Grinnell College since 1962 and was a member of Visiting Committees for Harvard, M. I. T. and Stanford. (Editor's Note: He passed away on 3 June 1990 in Austin, TX.)

From the 1978 IEEE Awards Reception Brochure