1. Anthem College Commencement
Don Alpert
December 18, 2009
Congratulations, Anthem College Graduates and families

2. Hint: One Of The Most Important Inventions Of The 20th Century
What Is This?
Raise your hand if you know
before and after hint
Hint: One Of The Most Important
Inventions Of The 20th Century

3. First Integrated Circuit by Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments in 1958
What Is This?
Hint: One of the most important inventions of the 20th century
Elvis Presley’s Hair Gel Applicator
Integrated Circuit
First Integrated Circuit
by Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments in 1958
Hint: One Of The Most Important
Inventions Of The 20th Century

4. 2009: 50th Anniversary of the IC
Robert Noyce of Fairchild Semiconductor Conceived the Planar Integrated Circuit in 1959
Practical technology for designing and manufacturing ICs in silicon
Kilby and Noyce are Recognized as Co-Inventors
Both filed patents in 1959
Integrated Circuit: Multiple Interconnected Electronic Devices Formed on a Common Base Material
I spent my career designing integrated circuits. I’m going describe some of the things that I found fascinating about this field, kept me motivated to work hard and keep learning.
Integrated circuit also called a “chip” because takes form of small rectangular piece of silicon

5. Audio Electronics in the 20th Century
Tube Radio 1930’s
Transistor Radio 1950’s
iPod 2000’s
Tube Radio in 1930’s:
Piece of furniture in living room for everyone to listen to
Built from 5-10 tubes the size of a finger, and as much space, power/heat as a small light bulb
Transistor radio in the 1950’s
Personal audio
Built from <10 transistors size of a finger nail and battery-powered
Transistors cost a few dollars apiece in the mid-1950’s
iPod in 2001
Personal audio, stores complete music collection
Estimate 100 billion transistors

6. Continuous Improvement
In 1965, 6 years after IC invented, Gordon Moore, observed trend that no. transistors per IC doubles every year.
Moore later one of founders of Intel Corporation in 1968.
Trend has continued for over 40 years – exponential growth.
Moore’s Law (1965): The Number of Transistors on an IC Doubles Every 1-2 years

7. Continuous Improvement
Estimate for 2010: 1 Billion Transistors Manufactured per Person Worldwide, Each Costing One Ten-millionth of a Cent!
1993 with 3.1M Tx is Pentium processor that I was lead architect – worked with design team, software developers (e.g., Microsoft), and system vendors (e.g., IBM, Compaq) to define how to use 3M Tx. Also met my wife, who was in Public Relations, when technology introduced.
Remember in 1950’s Tx cost a few $ apiece, now can make 10M for a $.
For example, I recently bought an 8GB memory for my cell phone, that is 64 billion bits, with 16B Tx. So that alone covers 1B Tx per person for everyone living on my block.
"If the auto industry advanced as rapidly as the semiconductor industry, a Rolls Royce would get a half a million miles per gallon, and it would be cheaper to throw it away than to park it.“
- Gordon Moore

8. Disruptive Technology
Sustaining Technology
Continuous improvement in established market
Disruptive Technology
Starts at low “performance,” but adequate for new market
Much lower “cost” enables growth of new market
Eventually overtakes and replaces older technology
Examples
Digital photography vs. film
Online vs. brick+mortar store
Time
Performance
Disruptive Technology
Sustaining Technology
Not all developments result from continuous improvement – contrast with disruptions.
“Performance” can mean any measure of value, e.g., speed, audio or visual quality
“Cost” can mean $, quality, power

9. Disruptive Technology
Time
Performance
Sustaining Technology
Disruptive Technology
Technology Transition Often Leads to Decline of Established Companies and Rise of New Companies
That is why called “Disruptive” Technology
Clayton Christiansen, “The Innovator's Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail”

10. Congratulations, Anthem College Graduates!
Summary
Continuously Improve Your Product, Service, Skills
Find your passion to work hard and keep learning
Whether high-tech, low-tech, or no-tech
Look for Risks and Opportunities of Disruptive Technologies
You have already started doing this
Completing a diploma or degree program at Anthem College to improve your skills
Choosing to study at Anthem College instead of traditional private or public college
Post-Graduation: “It is what you learn after you know it all that really counts”
It is up to you to work hard, keep learning, continuously improving. At times, it may seem like a grind from day to day, but if you look back after 10, 20, 30 years, you will be amazed and proud about what you have accomplished.
Congratulations, Anthem College Graduates!

11. References Slide Source 2-3
“The Chip that Jack Built,” Courtesy of Texas Instruments 5 6
Gordon E. Moore, “Cramming more components onto integrated circuits", Electronics Magazine, April 1965, ftp://download.intel.com/research/silicon/moorespaper.pdf 7
“The Silicon Engine,” Computer History Museum, Sam Palmisano, A Smarter Planet: The Next Leadership Agenda,”
8-9
Clayton M. Christensen, “The Innovator's Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail “