Leslie L. Vadasz
The information listed below is current as of the date the transcript was finalized.
Interview Details
Interview Sessions
Abstract of Interview
Leslie L. Vadasz begins the first interview by describing his childhood in Budapest during World War II. Vadasz developed an early interest in mathematics and literature, and began an undergraduate mechanical engineering program before continuing in solid state physics at McGill University in Montreal. Vadasz worked on metal oxide semiconductor transistors at Transitron Corporation before joining Fairchild Semiconductor, where he helped develop the silicon gate process. In the second interview, Vadasz details the early efforts to produce memory devices at Intel Corporation, including erasable programmable read-only memory. Vadasz continues with the transition of Intel Corporation into a divisionalized structure and international extensions, at which time he became Vice President. Vadasz recounts his role as general manager of the microcomputer components division and its interactions with the semiconductor industry in the third interview. Vadasz began serving on the Board of Directors in 1988 and describes its place in assisting Intel management. He also explains the foundation of Intel Capital. Vadasz concludes the interview with remarks on the importance of technical knowledge in both developmental and managerial work.
Education
| Year | Institution | Degree | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | McGill University | BSEE | Electrical Engineering |
| 1990 | Harvard Business School | AMP |
Professional Experience
Transitron Corporation
Fairchild Semiconductor
Intel Corporation
Intel Capital
Harvard Business School
ZettaCore Inc.
Honors
| Year(s) | Award |
|---|---|
| 1977 | Elected Fellow, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers |
| 1991 to 1996 | Member, National Research Council Computer Science and Telecommunications Board |
| 1997 to 2002 | Member, Presidential Advisory Committee for Information Technology |
Table of Contents
Family background. Youth in Budapest. World War II. Interest in Mathematics. High School. Undergraduate work in mechanical engineering. Hungarian Revolution of 1956. Emigration to Canada. Undergraduate work at McGill University.
Materials Processing at Transitron Electronic Corporation. Fairchild Semiconductor. Complementary Transistor Logic (CTL). Shift Toward Design of Microcomputer by Component Manufacturers. Gordon E. Moore. Metal Oxide Semiconductor Technology Group. Personal Work on Metal Oxide Semiconductor Technology.
Andrew S. Grove. Semiconductor Memory. Director of Metal Oxide Semiconductor Engineering. Manufacturing-Design Communication. Marketing Role in Design. Microprocessor. Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory. Contribution to Microprocessor Production. Federico Faggin. Personal and Professional Interactions with Andrew Grove.
Divisionalization of Intel. Establishment of Israel Facility. Memory. Vice President of Intel Corporation. Microcomputer Marketing and Design. General Manager of Microcomputer Component Division. Senior Vice President and Director of Corporate Strategic Staff Positions. Planning Process. Focus on Microprocessors. Board of Directors.
Investment to Accelerate Semiconductor Market Penetration. Executive Support of Intel Capital. Networking Among Funded Firms. Digital Rights Management. Wi-Fi. Retirement. Broadband Communications Network. Conclusion.
About the Interviewer
Christophe Lécuyer is a graduate of the École Normale Supérieure in Paris, and he received a PhD in history from Stanford University. He was a fellow of the Dibner Institute for the History of Science and Technology and has taught at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and the University of Virginia. Before becoming a senior research fellow at CHF, Lécuyer was the program manager of the electronic materials department. He has published widely on the history of electronics, engineering education, and medical and scientific instruments, and is the author of Making Silicon Valley: Innovation and the Growth of High Tech, 1930–1970 (2005).
David C. Brock is a senior research fellow with the Center for Contemporary History and Policy at the Chemical Heritage Foundation. As a historian of science and technology, he specializes in the history of semiconductor science, technology, and industry; the history of instrumentation; and oral history. Brock has studied the philosophy, sociology, and history of science at Brown University, the University of Edinburgh, and Princeton University.
In the policy arena Brock recently published Patterning the World: The Rise of Chemically Amplified Photoresists, a white-paper case study for the Center’s Studies in Materials Innovation. With Hyungsub Choi he is preparing an analysis of semiconductor technology roadmapping, having presented preliminary results at the 2009 meeting of the Industry Studies Association.