[H-GEN] Tools of Science Talk: Building the first microprocessor

[Greg Black]

This forthcoming talk on Thursday, 15 March at UQ might be of interest
to Humbug members:


    The second Tools of Science meeting for 2007 will be held at 6pm on
    Thursday March 15 in Parnell (7) LR326* The speaker will be Robert
    Holmstrom and the topic:

                       Building the first microprocessor

    The Intel 4004 microprocessor was 35 years old in 2006.  Robert was
    a member of the team that created it.  There is a lot of information
    available on the web and in the literature about the 4004 as an
    object, but very little about the semiconductor process and
    equipment development that helped make it possible.  Theory is fine
    but in the real world you have to make things for less than you can
    sell them for.  Robert will give some background on the 4004 and its
    place in history but the main content will be on some of the many
    other contributions to the project.  He will present several
    examples of process and equipment engineering that occurred in
    parallel with the circuit design.

    Bob Holmstrom hails from Portland Oregon USA.  He holds Bachelors
    and Masters Degrees in Electrical Engineering from The University of
    California at Berkeley.  After a career as engineer at Sprague
    Electric, Intel, Inmos, and Ateq/Eteq, he is currently the editor of
    the Horological Science Newsletter.

    Light refreshments will be served after the talk.

  * Note change from former venue.  As a result of UQ room allocation
    policy, Tools of Science will no longer have a permanent home, so
    please note the different venue each time.  Also note this talk will
    be on a Thursday.

    Norman Heckenberg
    Reader in Physics
    Director, Physics Museum
    Deputy Director, Centre for Biophotonics and Laser Science
    Physics Department,
    The University of Queensland,
    Brisbane 4072
    Australia