Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory
Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory, later known as Shockley Transistor Corporation, was a pioneering semiconductor developer founded by William Shockley, and funded by Beckman Instruments, Inc., in 1955. It was the first high technology company in what came to be known as Silicon Valley to work on silicon-based semiconductor devices.
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Semiconductors |
| Founded | 1955 |
| Founders | William Shockley |
| Defunct | 1968 |
| Fate | Acquired by Clevite |
| Headquarters | 391 San Antonio Road, Mountain View, California , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Four-layer diode |
Number of employees | 9,000 |
| Parent | Beckman Instruments (1955-1960) Clevite (1960-1968) ITT (1968) |
In 1957, the eight leading scientists resigned and became the core of what became Fairchild Semiconductor. Shockley Semiconductor never recovered from this departure, and was purchased by Clevite in 1960, then sold to ITT in 1968, and shortly after, officially closed.
The building remained, but was repurposed as a retail store. By 2015 plans were made to demolish the site to develop a new building complex. By 2017 the site was redeveloped with new signage marking it as the "Real Birthplace of Silicon Valley."