The 1960s – the decade of integration

Recap

The 1950s marked the birth of the semiconductor industry, with transistors emerging as high-cost, niche products primarily used in military and research applications. Early manufacturing was highly manual, with low yields and high costs keeping production volumes small. Pricing was largely dictated by the need to recoup R&D expenses, and government funding—particularly from the U.S. defense sector—played a crucial role in sustaining the industry. By the decade’s end, companies like Texas Instruments and Fairchild Semiconductor had entered the market, and the shift from germanium to silicon had begun, setting the stage for future innovation.

The 1960s were a pivotal decade in the semiconductor industry, characterized by major technological leaps that brought transistors out of their standalone packaging and into integrated circuits (ICs). Building…