Gordon Moore, a pioneer of Silicon Valley and co-founder of Intel Corporation, has passed away at the age of 94 in Hawaii. Moore was a renowned figure in the semiconductor industry and is known for his prediction that computer processing power would double every year, an insight that became famously known as Moore's Law.
The Foundation of the Computer Processor Industry
Moore's Law became the foundation of the computer processor industry and was a significant factor in the PC revolution. In an article published in 1965, Moore observed that the number of transistors on microchips had doubled roughly every year since the invention of integrated circuits. He predicted that this trend would continue, which led to chipmakers focusing their research on achieving this goal.
A Life Devoted to Semiconductors
Moore began his work on semiconductors in the 1950s and worked at the Fairchild Semiconductor laboratory, where he helped to manufacture commercially viable transistors and integrated circuits. This work laid the groundwork for the transformation of the peninsula of land south of San Francisco into what we now know as Silicon Valley. In 1968, Moore and Robert Noyce left Fairchild to start Intel.
Moore's contributions to the semiconductor industry drove significant technological progress worldwide and enabled the creation of personal computers and companies such as Apple, Facebook, and Google.
Philanthropy and Environmental Causes
Moore devoted his later life to philanthropy and co-founded the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, which focused on environmental causes. The foundation's causes included protecting the Amazon River basin and salmon streams in the US, Canada, and Russia. Harvey Fineberg, the foundation's president, praised Moore for his wisdom, humility, and generosity, which inspired everyone who worked with him.
Honors and Recognition
Moore received numerous honors and recognition for his contributions to the semiconductor industry and philanthropy. In 2002, he was awarded the Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the US, by President George W. Bush.
Intel Corporation paid tribute to its co-founder, describing him as a visionary. Current CEO Pat Gelsinger acknowledged Moore's legacy, which changed the lives of every person on the planet. "He leaves behind a memory that will live on. I am humbled to have known him," said Mr Gelsinger.
Technomancer is a science and tech enthusiast who enjoys writing about software and AI and other tech topics.
