Federico Faggin American scientist of Italian origin; He is best known as the creator of the first commercial microprocessor. Date of Birth: 01.12.1941 Country: USA

Biography of Federico Faggin

Federico Faggin was an American scientist of Italian origin, best known as the creator of the first commercial microprocessor. Born in Vicenza, Italy, Faggin obtained his first degree in Physics from the University of Padua. At the age of 19, shortly after completing his technical course, he joined the Italian company 'Olivetti' where he participated in the development and implementation of a prototype for a small computer. After obtaining his university degree, Faggin secured a position at 'SGS Fairchild', an Italian company, where he created the first MOS technology and developed the first integrated circuits.

In 1968, Faggin moved to Palo Alto, where he continued his work at 'Fairchild Semiconductor'. Here, he developed the 'MOS Silicon Gate' technology for self-aligned gates, which forms the basis of modern CMOS chips. Later, Faggin created the first commercial integrated circuit, the 'Fairchild 3708'. In 1970, he joined 'Intel' and was appointed as the project leader for implementing the previously developed architecture for 'Busicom' calculators. Faggin developed a new methodology for designing chips based on silicon gates, and with subsequent improvements, he was able to fit the microprocessor onto a single chip. He not only developed this new process but also demonstrated its applicability in various fields. In 1970, the first microprocessor went into production, and Faggin's relatively small team, including Masatoshi Shima and a couple of technicians, played a significant role in its creation. The technology developed by Faggin was used in the creation of all early 'Intel' processors. He also contributed to the development of subsequent models, actively participating in the design and implementation of the 8080 and 4040 processor architectures.

In 1974, Faggin left 'Intel' and co-founded 'Zilog' with Ralph Ungermann. This company became the first to focus exclusively on microprocessors, while 'Intel' was more interested in memory at that time. In his new role as the head of the MOS research and development department, Faggin led a team of over 80 engineers working on more than ten different projects at any given time. One of Faggin's most notable projects was the architecture of the 'Z80' microprocessor, which he developed with the assistance of Masatoshi Shima. Until the end of 1980, Faggin held the positions of president and CEO of the company.

In 1982, Faggin became one of the founders of 'Cygnet Technologies,' where he served as president and CEO until 1986. The company developed the 'Cygnet CoSystem,' a personal communication device. In 1986, Faggin moved on to become the CEO of 'Synaptics,' a company he also co-founded, which is known for producing one of the most popular models of touchpads.

From 2003 to 2008, Federico Faggin served as the president and CEO of 'Foveon.' During his tenure, Faggin revitalized the struggling company and established a new direction for its development. As a result, a new class of sensors was created, surpassing existing analogs in all aspects.

Federico Faggin's contributions to the field of microprocessors and chip design have had a lasting impact on technology and have paved the way for the rapid advancement of computers and electronic devices in our modern lives.