ABSTRACT
Semiconductors, the chips that provide the logic and memory for computers and, increasingly, for a wide variety of other machines from kitchen appliances to industrial robots, were in their earlier days seen as the quintessential symbol of the high-tech economy. This was partly due to the astounding scientific accomplishments associated with semiconductors, from the discovery of the unique physical properties of the silicon from which the chips were made, to the optical and chemical processes that permitted phenomenal miniaturization in circuits and corresponding massive increases in computing power. In part, the excitement stemmed from the advances that semiconductors made possible in high-tech activities such as internet surfing or smart bombs. The mythology of Silicon Valley, with its fast fortunes and hard-driving but unconventional work culture also seemed futuristic.
