Federico Faggin: From model airplanes to microprocessors
From model airplanes to microprocessors
A pioneering inventor whose work revolutionized computing technology, Federico Faggin used his childhood love of model airplane building to hone the engineering skills that would make him a key figure in the Information Age.
Leveraging the entire design and construction engineering process learned during his youth in World War II Italy, Faggin went on to create MOS silicon-gate technology — a breakthrough that enabled the development of semiconductor memory chips and microprocessors.
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Each month, our Journeys of Innovation series tells the stories of inventors or entrepreneurs who have made a positive difference in the world. This month we focus on Federico Faggin, an inventor, entrepreneur, and engineer who designed the first commercial microprocessor. For his scientific contributions, Faggin was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame (NIHF) in 1996 and was awarded the National Medal of Technology and Innovation (NMTI) in 2009. To learn about other NIHF inductees, check out Greatest in American innovation. To read about other NMTI laureates, check out Honoring the nation’s innovators.
Do you know an innovator or entrepreneur with an interesting story?
Credits
Produced by the National Inventors Hall of Fame in partnership with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Graphic on the homepage by Gabriella McNevin-Melendez. For feedback or questions, please contact inventorstories@uspto.gov.
