Siliconix

Siliconix was incorporated on March 5, 1962, by husband and wife Frances and Bill Hugle and Richard Lee.{{cite journal | last=Emerson | first=Paul | date=January 30, 1964 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-peninsula-times-tribune-siliconix-of/156878635/ | title=Siliconix off to good start in race for miniaturization | journal=Palo Alto Times | page=7 | via=Newspapers.com}}{{cite journal | last=Staff writer | date=May 25, 1968 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-peninsula-times-tribune-obituary-for/156878749/ | title=Frances B. Hugle, Sunnyvale electronics scientist, dies | journal=Palo Alto Times | page=2 | via=Newspapers.com}} The Hugles were well known in the semiconductor industry for the works of their previous companies that specialized in optical encoding and circuit production,{{Cite web |last=says |first=Cheryl Hugle |date=May 22, 2023 |title=The Semiconductor Company That Came From Another World: the Siliconix Story, Part 1 – Starting With Star Sapphires |url=https://www.eejournal.com/article/the-semiconductor-company-that-came-from-another-world-the-siliconix-story-part-1-starting-with-star-sapphires/ |access-date=August 14, 2024 |website=EEJournal |language=en-US}} including at the Baldwin Piano Company of Cincinnati, Ohio.{{Cite web |date=May 29, 2023 |title=The Semiconductor Company from Another World: The Siliconix Story, Part 2 – Starting the Optical Encoder Industry |url=https://www.eejournal.com/article/the-semiconductor-company-from-another-world-the-siliconix-story-part-2-starting-the-optical-encoder-industry/ |access-date=August 14, 2024 |website=EEJournal |language=en-US}} Baldwin later gave the Hugles the capital to raise Siliconix in 1962; also contributing startup capital was the Electronic Engineering Company (EECO) of Santa Ana, California.{{cite journal | last=Staff writer | date=March 19, 1962 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-cal-electronics-f/156878577/ | title=Cal. Electronics Firm Formed | journal=Palo Alto Times | page=10 | via=Newspapers.com}}{{rp|126}} Lee, meanwhile, had previously worked at Texas Instruments before leaving to cofound Siliconix. At Siliconix, the founders focused on field-effect transistor (FET) design and manifacturing while most other companies were still using bipolar junction transistor (BJT) designs. First products of the company were P-channel junction FETs, N-channel junction FETs, MOSFETs, FET arrays, and power MOSFETs.{{cite journal | last=Rostky | first=George | date=October 30, 1997 | url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/208128850/ | title=A radio and silicon | journal=Electronic Engineering Times | publisher=CMP Publications | issue=978 | pages=113–128 | via=ProQuest}}{{rp|126}}

The Hugles went on to found and invest in a number of other electronics companies following the incorporation of Siliconix.{{cite journal | last=Flinn | first=John | date=October 20, 1983 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-san-francisco-examiner-big-man-hug/156879096/ | title='Big Man' Hugle alleged link between Harper, Polish agents | journal=The San Francisco Examiner | page=48 | via=Newspapers.com}} Frances Hugle died on May 24, 1968, following a six-month-long illness. By the early 1970s, Bill Hugle's role in Siliconix had largely diminished as he began focusing on a political career as the Democratic nominee for California's 12th congressional district. Lee remained principally responsible for Siliconix's day-to-day operations until the mid-1980s, when he expanded the company's executive leadership.{{rp|B-10}} Bill Hugle lost the nomination in 1972 and was later charged by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in 1983 of committing espionage in collaboration with a spy for the Polish People's Republic in the early 1970s.{{cite journal | last=Stein | first=Mark A. | date=November 16, 1983 | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-alleged-big-man/156879004/ | title=Alleged 'Big Man' in Spy Case Denies Role | journal=Los Angeles Times | page=3, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-los-angeles-times-alleged-big-man/156879020/ 16] | via=Newspapers.com}} A grand jury found Hugle not guilty in 1985. He died in 2003.{{cite journal | last=Carey | first=Pete | date=October 16, 2003 | url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/461426411/ | title=Silicon Valley Pioneer, Founder of Semiconductor Maker Dies | journal=San Jose Mercury News | publisher=Knight Ridder Tribune Business News | page=1 | via=ProQuest}}

Throughout the 1980s, Siliconix coasted on the success of its original FET designs, as well as custom application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), shirking off developing microprocessors and microcontrollers as many other semiconductor pioneers had attempted and either found success or went bankrupt. Through to at least 1985, Siliconix never reported a single quarterly loss.{{rp|B-1}} By the late 1980s, however, sales began to flounder, and a patent infringement suit lost against International Rectifier forced Siliconix to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1989. They were acquired by TEMIC, a business unit of the German Telefunken company, who renamed the company Temic Siliconix Inc., who pivoted the company toward power management ICs for microcomputers and motion controller chips for hard disk drive controller boards.{{cite journal | last=Burrows | first=Peter | date=May 1993 | url=https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A13738046/GPS?u=wikipedia | title=Temic tries a new road to profitability | journal=Electronic Business | publisher= Reed Business Information | volume=19 | issue=5 | pages=73 et seq | via=Gale}}

In 1997, Vishay started to buy Siliconix stock from various shareholders and practically completed the acquisition of the entire company by 2005.{{cite journal | last=Staff writer | date=December 11, 1997 | url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/430888125/ | title=Vishay Plans to Buy Daimler-Benz Unit for $500 Million | journal=The New York Times | page=3 | via=ProQuest}}{{Cite web |last=McGrath |first=Dylan |date=May 12, 2005 |title=Vishay completes acquisition of Siliconix common stock |url=https://www.eetimes.com/vishay-completes-acquisition-of-siliconix-common-stock/ |access-date=August 14, 2024 |website=EE Times}}

{{reflist}}

Category:1962 establishments in California

Category:2005 disestablishments in California

Category:American companies established in 1962

Category:American companies disestablished in 2005

Category:Computer companies established in 1962

Category:Computer companies disestablished in 2005

Category:Defunct computer companies of the United States

Category:Defunct semiconductor companies of the United States

Category:Defunct computer hardware companies