Guide to the Steve Allen photographs of Fairchild Semiconductor

Sara Chabino Lott

Computer History Museum

1401 N. Shoreline Blvd.

Mountain View, California 94043

Phone: (650) 810-1010

Email: research@computerhistory.org

URL: http://www.computerhistory.org

Guide to the Steve Allen phogographs of Fairchild Semiconductor

Collection number: 4360.2008

Computer History Museum

Processed by:: Sara Chabino Lott
Date Completed:: 2008
Encoded by:: Sara Chabino Lott

Descriptive Summary

Title: Guide to the Steve Allen photographs of Fairchild Semiconductor

Dates: 1926-1997

Bulk Dates: 1962-1979

Collection number: 4360.2008

Creator: Allen, Steve

Collection Size: 2 linear feet 2 record boxes

Repository: Computer History Museum

Mountain View, CA 94043

Abstract: The Steve Allen photographs of Fairchild Semiconductor contains photographs of professional photographer Steve Allen, a Fairchild Semiconductor and National Semiconductor Corporation employee from 1966 through about 1997. The collection documents executive employees, sales force, fabrication facilities, and products of Fairchild Semiconductor. The vast majority of the collection is comprised of photographs, negatives, and slides. There is a small amount of textual material.

Languages: Languages represented in the collection: English

Access

Collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

The Computer History Museum can only claim physical ownership of the collection. Users are responsible for satisfying any claims of the copyright holder. Permission to copy or publish any portion of the Computer History Museum's collection must be given by the Computer History Museum.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of Item], [Date], Steve Allen photographs of Fairchild Semiconductor, Lot X4360.2008, Box[#], Folder[#], Computer History Museum, Mountain View, California.

Provenance

The Steve Allen photographs of Fairchild Semiconductor was donated by Steve Allen to the Computer History Museum in November of 2007. These are the records Steve Allen collected during his career as a photographer for Fairchild Semiconductor and National Semiconductor.

Processing Information

While Allen's files were in active use, he kept them arranged chronologically and then by subject within each year. Since this collection contains a portion of Allen's complete files, the original order has been lost and no attempt has been made to reconstruct it.

Biography / Administrative History

In 1957, New York based Fairchild Camera and Instrument Corporation made a historic business decision when they sponsored the formation of Fairchild Semiconductor in Palo Alto, California. A group of eight scientists and engineers involved in solid-state electronics had developed a method of mass-producing silicon transistors using a double diffusion technique and a chemical etching system called the "mesa" process. Fairchild provided the necessary backing for the group's project and the development and production of silicon diffused transistors and other semiconductor devices began. The eight scientists and engineers were Julius Blank, Victor Grinich, Jean Hoerni, Eugene Kleiner, Jay Last, Gordon Moore, Robert Noyce, and Sheldon Roberts.

Fairchild Semiconductor became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fairchild Camera and Instrument Corporation in 1959 and in 1961 became the Semiconductor Division. In 1959, Fairchild announced the development of the patented Planar process for semiconductor device manufacturing. The Planar process paved the way for such technological advances as the integrated circuit. In 1961 Fairchild introduced the world's first monolithic integrated circuit and in 1971 the isoplanar process for semiconductor manufacturing.

In 1968 the company's corporate headquarters were moved from Syosset, New York to Mountain View, California. In 1979 Schlumberger Limited purchased Fairchild Semiconductor as a diversification move, but sold the assets to National Semiconductor Corporation (NSC) in 1987. In 1997 NSC divested a number of former Fairchild mature product lines in a leveraged buy-out to executives based at Fairchild's former South Portland, Maine facility and the "new" Fairchild Semiconductor became a publicly traded company once again.

In early 1962 Richard Steinheimer was hired to start a photography department at Fairchild Semiconductor in Mountain View, California. Steinheimer hired Steve Allen (1938- ) in 1966 as a photographer. Graphic Art and Photography was a division of Marketing Services, which also included Advertising, Public Relations, and Reproduction and Distribution. Though the work at Fairchild Semiconductor was industrial, the photographers were encouraged to be creative and develop themselves as artists. When NSC bought the company the attitude toward creative staff shifted. The philosophy of NSC was not to have artists, photographers, and art directors on staff. About 1990, NSC sold Allen his equipment and made him a contract photographer. Allen continued in that capacity until about 1997.

Scope and Content of Collection

The Steve Allen photographs of Fairchild Semiconductor contains the professional photographic files of Steve Allen. The collection represents some of the most innovative graphic design that took place in Silicon Valley in the 1960s and 1970s, including photomicrographs, photo macrographs, and life field metallography. After Allen became a contractor for NSC, he was allowed to keep those images that would be most frequently requested, most likely used in projects, or that he would generally need regular access to. The remainder of the files stayed at NSC. The records span 1960 through 1992 with the bulk of the collection being from 1962 through 1988. Topics include Sherman Fairchild, Fairchild Aviation Corporation, Fairchild Camera and Instrument Corporation and Fairchild Semiconductor, with approximately two thirds of the collection being related to Fairchild Semiconductor products and people. Unless otherwise noted dates are inclusive.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in 3 series:

Series 1: A Solid State of Progress photographs
Series 2: Subject Files
Series 3: Collected history files

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Allen, Steve

Fairchild (Firm)

Fairchild Aerial Camera Corporation

National Semiconductor Corporation

Integrated circuits-Pictorial works

Semiconductor industry-Pictorial works

Related Material

Lot X4017.2007 Gift of Henry Mahler

Lot X4348.2008; X4172.2008; X4359.2008; X4380.2008; X4324.2008 Collection of Fairchild Semiconductor employee papers

Collection Contents

box 1

A Solid State of Progress photographs 1961-1974

Series Scope and Content Summary

This series contains photographs, negatives and slides of Fairchild Semiconductor integrated circuits, ingots, wafers, chips, and other devices used to illustrate A Solid State of Progress. A Solid State of Progress began as a one-of-a-kind publication of mounted original prints presented as a special gift to the head of TDK Electronics, Ltd. of Japan, about 1963. A second volume of mounted original prints was presented to an executive at Phillips about a year later. A Solid State of Progress was so well received that Marketing Services decided to publish a four color print version in limited quantities. There were approximately three editions of limited quantity four color print catalogs. This series is arranged alphabetically by product name.

102710073 0002 RF power transistor 1963-04

102710040 0014 1964-10

102710054 0028 1964-01

102710066 0057 MOS-FET 1966-10

102710048 0328 large power transistor 1970-02-04

102710064 103 dual gate TTL 1964-03

102710044 117 1965-04

102710067 1211-A 1964-11

102710045 1312 1964

102710062 1702 1964

102710065 1902 EQR, 1702 non-EQR 1966-04

102710037 3101MOS dual JK flip flop 1967-05-18

102710068 3111 1964-11

102710046 3355 Iso-P 1024 bit serial static register (1st Iso-P MOS circuit) 1973-07

102710032 3410 Micromosaic 1969-01-17

102710031 35115z and 3402 1971-08

102710049 3544 16K MOS RAM 1977-01-03

102710030 3665 1977-09-13

102710028 3708 1st silicon gate MOS 1969-08-13

102710053 3800 MOS / LSI 1967-09-21

102710025 3850 (1 0f 2 F-8 chips) 1975-03

102710051 4070 1976-11-23

102710033 4100, 93400 and MEM 180 1969-11-19

102710050 4183 I3L bipolar, 16K fdynamic RAM 1977-05-03

102710018 4200, 1st Planar transistor 1960

102710069 4500 micromatrix 1966-12

102710038 4711 MSI 2 layer 1968-30-09

102710047 6207 discrete emitter power 1967-05-02

102710021 700, 1st LIC uA 700 1964-11

102710034 703 1964-1967

102710035 709 1965-05

102710036 709 1969-11-30

102710019 7202 power amplifier 1964

102710058 722 10 bit current source 1968-01-22

102710060 78XX voltage regulator 1971

102710059 9002 Y TTL 1970-12

102710041 9030 1966

102710057 907 1963-08

102710072 931 1st DTL 1964-06

102710017 931 DTL flip flop 1964

102710042 9341 3 layer MSI 1970-03

102710023 93410 (4110) isoplanar, first commercial isoplanar product 1971-05

102710052 93415 (4115) 1024 bit Isoplanar memory 1971-08-18

102710022 9440S 1978-05-22

102710024 95410 (4010) 1971-12

102710043 9969 1967-10

102710063 C 028 1974-01

102710061 CCD 500 1972-12

102710027 CD488 CCD imaging chip 1975-10

102710071 Diffusion furnace fab 4 1965-03

102710055 Diode monolithic character display array 1971-02

102710039 FD 700 1968-02-28

102710074 FLPA-200 1964-10-26

102710076 FPA 601 self scanned photo array 1971-02

102710056 FPA601 64 element self scanning silicon gate photodiode array; photos for Phillips album 1970-12

102710070 Gallium arsenide light emitting diode 1969-04-22

102710014 History of Fairchild Semiconductor devices for Hogan albums 1959-1985

102710029 Isoploanar II 1973

102710026 LED superdigit 1972

102710015 RTL ul902 F element flip flop round chip, photo shoot 1971-01

102710020 u741 corrupted LIC op-amp 1968-01-22

102710016 uL902 RTL element flip flop, bonded; for Dick Merrill 1996-06

102710075 Unidentified negatives 1964 ca.-1971 ca.

box 1, 2, Misc. oversize 2

Subject files 1960-1992 1960-1988

Series Scope and Content Summary

This series contains the files of Allen and Richard Steinheimer from the photography department in Mountain View, California. Included are photographs, negatives, contact sheets, and slides created for the sales force, trade shows, reliability brochures, covers of electronics magazines around the country, and internal publications. They illustrate people, products, research and development facilities, fabrication plants, and events from Fairchild Semiconductor and NSC. There are posed head shots, group shots at sales conferences, ceremonies and meetings, as well as images of a limited amount of Fairchild Semiconductor products. This series is arranged alphabetically by subject.

102709967 5000 C tester 1977-05

102709996 Allison, David 1988

102709969 Anixter, Ben, Jack Gifford and Jerry Larkin for EEE magazine 1968-10-07

102709989 Art in microelectronics portfolio 1968 ca.

102709948 Bay, Grimich, Last, Hoerni, Blank, Kleimer, Moore, Roberts, Seigel, Noyce, Allison, and Hodgeson at "Thank you Fairchild" party 1988-04-14

102710004 Bell Laboratories first transistor, John Bardeen, William Shockley and Walter H. Brattain 1978-10-18

102709992 Deal, Bruce 1988-04-08

102709970 Dedication Fairchild Research Center (Building E) 1988-04-14

102709951 Dedication of 844 E. Charlston Rd. by sate of CA as Historical Landmark #1000 1991-08

102709990 Dedication of research and development expansion, Andy Grove, Bruce Deal and Ed Snow 1966 ca.

102709950 Device fabrication layout with ingots, wafers, chip, devices 1966-04

102710011 Devices 1960

102709974 Division managers group portrait 1971-10

102709998 Epitaxial devices 1963

102709955 Fabrication and assembly scenes 1964

102709952 Facilities 1992

102709945 Fairchild Semiconductor founders 1988

102710002 Fairchild, Sherman visit to research and development with Gordon Moore and Robert Noyce 1965-10

102710001 Fairchild, Sherman with aerial cameras and airplane 1977-01

102709965 Fairchild, Sherman with other flyers 1977-01

102710006 Fairchild, Sherman, last portrait photograph 1970 ca.

102709947 Grimich, Moore, Noyce and Blank at 844 Charleston Rd. in Palo Alto, CA 1967-10

102709995 Grinich, Victor 1988 ca.

102709993 Hoerni, Jean 1985 ca.

102709963 Hogan, Les 1973 ca.-1977

102710003 Hogan, Lester C. 1968 ca.-1979 ca.

102709962 IBM 701 computer 1978-10

102709959 LM 100 National Semiconductor Corporation (NSC) integrated circuit 1988-03-18

102709994 Last, Jay 1985 ca.

102709960 Last, Jay T. 1990 ca.

102709972 Luncheon 1966-07

102709956 Management meetings with Robert Noyce 1964

102709957 Marketing Services review talk by Sopkin 1969-08

102710012 Miscellaneous identified and unidentified images 1960 ca.-1990 ca.

102709966 Monroe solid state printing calculator with four functions 1977-11

102709944 National sales conference 1968-08

102709999 National sales conference, Acapulco 1966

102710000 National sales conference, Hawaii 1967-09

102710005 Nobel Prize party, William Shockley, Robert Noyce and others 1967-1974

102709946 Noyce and Hoerni patents 1961-1962

102709958 Noyce, Robert and Gordon Moore 1974 ca.-1980 ca.

102710010 Noyce, Robert, Don Valentine, Charles Sporck, Frank Yee and John Baldwin 1963-1965

102709971 Noyce, Robert, KQED fund drive 1968-01-26

102710008 Outtakes from portfolio 1979 ca.-1981 ca.

102709997 Planar epitaxial process artwork, master 1969-05

102709968 Pre-epitaxial devices and wafers 1962 ca.

102709953 Purchase of Fairchild Semiconductor by National Semiconductor Corporation from Schlumberger 1987

102710007 Research and development 1962

102709975 Research and development 1962-1964

102709961 Research and development lab scenes 1960-1965 ca.

102709991 Seeds, Robert 1964-10

102709954 Shareholder's meeting 1970

102710009 Sporck, Charles promotion, with Sherman Fairchild 1965-04-28

102709973 Sporck, Charles with eight founders 1988-04

102709964 Vedette aircraft owned by Fairchild Aerial Surveys, Quebec, Canada 1987

102709922 WGBH, Boston, photos for use in Information Age 1992-04

102709949 Widlar, Robert 1988-03-17

box 1

Collected history files 1926-1979 1960-1979

Series Scope and Content Summary

This series contains material that Allen rescued from destruction during the years he was a contract photographer for National Semiconductor Corporation. These are not Allen's records and were not maintained by him during their period of active use. There may have been multiple creators of this series, including, but not limited to, Dick Bailey, Fred Hoar, Lyn Christenson and Roger A. Barney. They do all appear to have come from the Employee Communications or Corporate Communications departments, or a variant of that. This series contains photographs of Sherman Fairchild from his twenties through his seventies, biographies of Sherman Fairchild, photographs and biographies of other executives from the 1960s and 1970s, press releases, clippings and photographs related to Fairchild Aerial Surveys, Inc. and Fairchild Instrument and Camera Corporation. It is unknown if the negatives of Sherman Fairchild in his twenties and thirties are originals or subsequent generation copies. This series has some water damage. This series is arranged alphabetically by subject.

102709912 50th year: Fairchild photo album, The 1977

102709921 50th year: Fairchild photo album, The. Images used 1977

102709939 Amelio, Gilbert T. 1973 ca.-1978 ca.

102709916 Analyst's meeting 1970

102709926 Corrigan, Wilfred J. 1977 ca.

102709911 Dialogue, award winning cover 1968-1969

102709934 Early, James M. 1970 ca.

102709929 Facilities, Asia 1966 ca.-1979 ca.

102709925 Facilities, Healdsburg, California 1975 ca.

102709924 Facilities, Hong Kong 1975 ca.

102709910 Facilities, Latham, NY SATS headquarters 1979

102709920 Facilities, Mountain View, CA (?) 1975 ca.

102709927 Facilities, Seoul, South Korea 1975 ca.

102709928 Facilities, Singapore, China 1975

102709923 Facilities, South Portland, Maine 1975 ca.

102709930 Fairchild Aerial Surveys, Inc. 1955 ca.

102709933 Fairchild Camera and Instrument Corporation contributions to aviation 1952-1955 ca.

102709940 Fairchild, Sherman 1951 ca.-1971 ca.

102709915 Fairchild, Sherman M. 1923 ca.-1970 ca.

102709918 Fairchild, Sherman M. biographies and obituaries 1962 ca.-1973

102709932 Fairchild, Sherman backgrounder (presented at Aviation Hall of Fame Awards May, 1979) 1979

102709938 Hogan, Lester C. 1968 ca.-1978 ca.

102709941 Horizons 1975

102709942 Images used in Irving Doyle's presentation at Sherman Fairchild memorial 1979-12-06

102709917 LM 101A 1st NSC VR? 1968 ca.

102709937 Longo, Thomas A. 1970 ca.-1979 ca.

102709931 Lunar mapping camera for the NASA Apollo Program press release packet 1971 ca.

102709936 McLachlan, Murray L. 1980 ca.

102709914 Press releases and article drafts from Public Relations 1940 ca.-1965 ca.

102709943 Speakers 1950 ca.

102709935 Stone, Nelson 1960 ca.

102710013 Tinkerings of Robert Noyce 1983-12

102709913 UNIVAC I, ENIAC, TX-O 1977 ca.

102709919 Wells, George D. 1978 ca.

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