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The award-winning Federico Faggin co-founded ZiLOG in 1974 after his departure from Intel. As ZiLOG CEO from 1974 - 1980, Faggin conceived the well-known Z80, a rival to Intel�s 8080.
In addition to co-founding ZiLOG, in 1986 Faggin co-founded Synaptics, Inc., an innovator of human interface technologies and products using neural networks and mixed-signal technologies. He also served as president and CEO of the company until January 1999, and since then has served as Chairman of the Board. Prior to Synaptics, Faggin co-founded and was CEO of Cygnet Technologies, which developed an intelligent voice and data peripheral for the personal computer.
In 1968, Faggin developed the silicon gate technology at Fairchild Semiconductor, the world�s first commercial self-aligned metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) process technology that made possible the creation of semiconductor memories and the microprocessor. He also co-invented and designed the world�s first microprocessor, the Intel 4004, and conceived and supervised the design of the Intel 8080, the first high-performance microprocessor. Additionally, Faggin held design and management positions at Intel Corporation, Fairchild Semiconductor, SGS-Fairchild (now ST Microelectronics), and Olivetti SpA.
He serves on the board of directors for Avanex, BlueArc, and Foveon, and is the Chairman of the Board of Integrated Device Technology. He is also an advisory board member of numerous organizations.
Throughout his distinguished career, Faggin has earned many awards and honors, including the IEEE W. Wallace McDowell Award for his role in the development of silicon gate technology and the world�s first microprocessor, and the Kyoto Prize for Advanced Technology. In 1996, Faggin was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in Akron, Ohio.
Faggin holds a doctorate in physics, summa cum laude, from the University of Padua, Italy. He also holds an honorary doctorate degree in computer science from the University of Milan, Italy. | 