Gordon Moore’s legacy as co-founder of Intel alone made him a giant in the tech industry, helping launch one of the most successful and influential companies in the world. However, it may be the principle named after him, Moore’s Law, which will prove to be his true legacy. In layman’s terms, Moore’s Law posits that semiconductor technology will double in complexity each year (later revised to every two years). The idea held from 1975 at least into the 2010s.
- Died: March 24, 2023 (Who else died on March 24?)
- Details of death: Died in Waimea, Hawaii at age 94.
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Early Career
Gordon Moore began his journey into science and technology in California, where he graduated from the University of Berkeley with a Bachelor’s of Science in chemistry, and then attended Caltech, where he earned a PhD in Physics. He would go on to work at Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory and helped create the Fairchild Semiconductor Laboratory. It was at Fairchild that he created Moore’s Law, though he never called it that: The term was coined by scientist Carver Mead. Moore noted that chip complexity had doubled each year for several years and predicted that it would continue to do so for another decade. In 1975, he revised that to every two years. Moore’s Law held true into the 2010s, when semiconductor complexity began to slow (though some experts argue that Moore’s Law continues to hold true today).
Founding Intel
In 1968, Moore partnered with Robert Noyce to form NM Electronics, which later became Intel. The company would go on to become a giant. Moore served as CEO from 1979 to 1987, chairman from 1987 to 1997, and chairman emeritus starting in 1997. During those years, Intel would become of the world’s foremost innovators in microchip technology, powering much of the home computing market throughout the world. The company’s main Oregon campus was named Gordon Moore Park in 2022. Outside of business, Moore formed the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, a charitable organization with a focus on environmental conservation in the Americas. Throughout his life, Moore received dozens of awards for his work in science and technology.
Tributes to Gordon Moore
Full Obituary: The Washington Post
