1947
|
|
|
A picture of the first transistor ever assembled, invented in Bell Labs in 1947. It was called a point contact transistor because amplification or transistor action occurred when two pointed metal contacts were pressed onto the surface of the semiconductor material. The contacts, which are supported by a wedge shaped piece of insulating material, are placed extremely close together so that they are separated by only a few thousandths of an inch. The contacts are made of gold and the semiconductor is germanium. The semiconductor rests on a metal base.
Image reprinted with the permission of Lucent Technologies, Inc./Bell Labs
|
|
1951
|
|
|
The United States Census purchases the UNIVAC, the first big commercially built computer.
|
|
1954
|
|
|
Texas Instruments announces the start of commercial production of silicon transistors.
|
|
1956
|
|
|
In 1956, John Bardeen, William Shockley, and Walter Brattain share the Nobel Prize in Physics for creating the transistor.
|
 |
1958
|
|
|
At Texas Instruments, Jack Kilby demonstrates the first integrated circuit (computer chip).
|
 |
1959
|
|
|
In August 6, Monsanto Chemical Company announces a new business enterprise in St. Charles County, Missouri. Monsanto Electronic Materials Company (MEMC), the first merchant manufacturer of silicon wafers, begins production before the end of the year. Originally called the "St. Charles Plant," after the county in which it resides, it produces 19mm-diameter wafers.
|
 |
1961
|
|
|
Dynamit Nobel Silicon (DNS) builds a plant in Merano, Italy. DNS would later combine with Monsanto Electronic Materials Company to form "MEMC" in 1989.
|
|
1962
|
|
|
Fairchild and Texas Instruments begin mass-production of integrated circuits (computer chips).
|
|
|
Bob Walsh, of MEMC, pioneers the Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) process. Over forty years later, it remains the industry standard.
|
|
|
The Czochralski (CZ) crystal growing process is developed and put into manufacturing at MEMC.
|
|
1964
|
|
|
1" wafers go into commercial production at the MEMC "St. Peters Plant," formerly known as the St. Charles Plant.
|
|
1965
|
|
|
Wang Laboratories produce the first commercially available electronic calculator, priced at $2,000 to $5,000.
|
|
1966
|
|
|
MEMC begins production of 1.5" wafers at St. Peters. The first EPI reactors are installed to run 1.25" and 1.5" material. Technologist Dr. Horst Kramer discovers a breakthrough in silicon materials science, "Zero-Dislocation"or "Zero-D" silicon crystals.
|
 |
1968
|
|
|
Intel founded by Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore.
|
|
| |
|
1969
|
|
|
Seiko, a Japanese watchmaker, produces the first electronic watches and sells them for $1250 each.
|
|
1970
|
|
|
MEMC builds a plant in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 2.25" wafers go into commercial production.
|
|
1971
|
|
|
Intel fits all the arithmetic and logic functions onto a silicon chip, the first programmable microprocessor. The "4004" packs 2250 transistors onto a chip; it is used for a calculator. IBM also develops the memory disk and floppy disk.
|
|
1973
|
|
|
Intel fits all the arithmetic and logic functions onto a silicon chip, the first programmable microprocessor. The "4004" packs 2250 transistors onto a chip; it is used for a calculator. IBM also develops the memory disk and floppy disk.
|
|
1973
|
|
|
3" wafers go into commercial production at the St. Peters Plant.
|
|
| |
|
1975
|
|
|
Hewlett Packard introduces the first programmable "pocket" calculator.
|
|
|
Microsoft is formed by renaming the Bill Gates and Paul Allen company, "Traf-O-Data". Also, the MITS Altair, the first personal computer, is available in kit form. It sells 2000 kits, all that MITS can make.
|
|
|
4 " (100mm) wafers go into commercial production at the St. Peters Plant.
|
 |
1976
|
|
|
Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak begin marketing the Apple I personal computer in kit form.
|
|
1977
|
|
|
Dynamit Nobel Silicon builds a second plant in Italy. "Novara" is designed as an R&D facility.
|
|
1978
|
|
|
Texas Instruments introduces the first single-chip speech synthesizer and incorporates it into a new toy called "Speak and Spell". Thirty percent of all watches sold are digital watches.
|
|
1979
|
|
|
MEMC introduces 5" (125mm) wafer production at the St. Peters Plant.
|
 |
1980
|
|
|
Overall sales of home computers breaks the billion-dollar mark.
|
|
1981
|
|
|
IBM introduces its personal computer.
MEMC builds the Utsunomiya plant, becoming the first non-Japanese wafer maker with manufacturing and research facilities in Japan. MEMC builds Milton Keynes plant; it is closed in 1990.
MEMC begins commercial production of 6" (150mm) wafers. MEMC's Spartanburg, South Carolina plant is built; it is closed in 1998.
MEMC ships wafers in the "Flip-Tran" cassette. The "can" is sealed with dry nitrogen to ensure cleanliness.
|
 |
1982
|
|
|
MEMC, again an industry pioneer, develops Epi wafers for CMOS applications.
Ethyl Corporation conducts first tests of granular polysilicon. Ethyl eventually sells the business unit to Albemarle Corporation. Albemarle, in turn, is later purchased by MEMC.
|
|
1983
|
|
|
Six million personal computers are sold in the U.S.
|
|
1984
|
|
|
The last computer that used vacuum tubes is decommissioned.
|
|
1984
|
|
|
MEMC begins commercial production of 8" (200mm) wafers. A pilot plant is also built to make granular polysilicon.
|
|
1987
|
|
|
Ethyl Corporation (Albemarle/MEMC) begins commercial production of granular polysilicon.
|
 |
1989
|
|
|
Hüls AG of Marl, Germany, purchases Monsanto Electronic Materials Company through its subsidiary - Dynamite Nobel Silicon (DNS) of Italy. The combined company is named, "MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc.", or MEMC.
|
|
1990
|
|
|
Tim Berners-Lee develops a new technique for distributing information on the "Internet" in Geneva, Switzerland. Eventually it would become the World Wide Web.
|
|
1991
|
|
|
12" (300mm) wafers go into production. Pohang Iron & Steel, Samsung Electronics Company, LTD, and MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc., establish "Posco Hüls Company" (PHC), a joint venture in Chonan, South Korea.
|
|
1994
|
|
|
Taisil Electronic Materials (TEM) is formed as a joint venture between MEMC, China Steel and others. It is located in Hsinchu, Taiwan.
|
 |
1995
|
|
|
MEMC stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange in an Initial Public Offering (IPO) in July. Tickername is "WFR".
MEMC Southwest, a joint venture with Texas Instruments, was established in Sherman, Texas to produce 6" wafers. MEMC acquires the granular poly facility from Albemarle Corporation - it is renamed MEMC Pasadena, Inc.
|
 |
1996
|
|
|
MEMC Southwest adds 8" production capacity to the Sherman site.
|
|
1999
|
|
|
Three new products are introduced to MEMC customers: Optia™, Aegis™, and MDZ®. Perfect Silicon™ brand wafers receive base patents and are transferred into manufacturing.
|
|
2000
|
|
|
MEMC acquires 40% share of PHC to increase ownership to 80%; the facility is renamed "MEMC Korea Company", or MKC.
|
 |
2001
|
|
|
Texas Pacific Group (TPG) purchases E.ON AG's interest In MEMC and restructures its debt.
|
|
2002
|
|
|
TPG converts preferred stock to common, increasing its ownership in MEMC to 90%.
|
|
2004
|
|
|
MEMC acquires remaining 55 percent of Taisil Electronic Materials Corporation (TEM) from China Steel, Chiao Tung Bank and the China Development Industrial Bank. The joint venture between these companies was formed in 1994.
|
 |
2004
|
|
|
MEMC announces that it has entered into a licensing agreement with Silicon Genesis Corp. (SiGen) to manufacture wafers using their layer transfer technology. The agreement allows MEMC to utilize SiGen’s NanoTec™ suite of process capabilities in the production of layer transfer wafer products, including SOI and strained SOI.
|
|
2005
|
|
|
TPG Wafer Holdings LLC, completes the sale(s) of 85,000,000 shares of common stock. TPG's beneficial ownership of the company's common stock is reduced from 63% to approximately 25%.
|
|
2006
|
|
|
MEMC announces $5-6 billion agreement to supply China-based Suntech Power Holdings Co., with solar grade silicon wafers. The agreement covers a 10-year period beginning in the first quarter of 2007. In addition, MEMC receives a warrant to purchase a 4.9% equity stake in Suntech, one of the world’s leading manufacturer’s of photovoltaic (PV) cells.
|
|
| |
|