Fairchild Semi Celebrates 50 Years In October

Analog and power IC provider Fairchild Semiconductor will celebrate its 50th anniversary in October. The company, founded in 1957, played an essential role in the startup of Silicon Valley and the semiconductor industry. Its technology breakthroughs like the invention of the planar process and the IC helped usher in the semiconductor age and the subsequent digital revolution, according to a company release. A three-day "Fairchild@50" celebration commemorating the company's golden anniversary will bring together 2,000 Fairchild Semiconductor alumni (known as Fairchildren) at the Computer History Museum in Silicon Valley from Oct. 4 to Oct. 6. Celebration events include a "Legacy of Fairchild" panel with Gordon Moore, Jerry Sanders, Wilf Corrigan, and moderator Floyd Kvamme, to explore Fairchild's impact on Silicon Valley and the world. Eight other panels will cover topics like the founding years, digital bipolar, MOS, linear, manufacturing, and marketing and sales. For more information, visit www.fairchildat50.org.