Semiconductor History

2N543 Silicon NPN Transistors From 1965 / Zener Diode From the Late 1950s Founded in 1952 by the Bakalar brothers, David and Leo, Transitron became the world's largest and most highly valued semiconductor company in the late 1950s. Although it took a planar process license from Fairchild in the early 1960s it never regained its pre-eminent position. Transitron started in Melrose Mass and grew very quickly, moving to an old mill in Wakefield. At its peak it employed more than 10,000 people.  2N343 Silicon Grown Junction Transistors From 1961 In its early years the Bakalars were very active in recruiting top engineers from Europe. They would hold recruitment roadshows in major capital cities. A number of these recruits subsequently became pioneers in other semiconductor companies. Not just from Transitron, but much of the top talent migrated West to seek their fortunes. The established East Coast companies didn't adapt and provide stock options or other incentives. Transistron 2N

Lucas Industries were a major 20th century British electrical manufacturer, supplying Automotive and Aerospace sectors. At one point they had 93,000 employees and 27 sites in the UK. Semiconductor manufacturing likely started in the early 1960s at the Mere Green Road site in Sutton Coldfield. Many Lucas sites were based in the Birmingham and West Midlands area. The Mere Green Road site didn't produce any Germanium products, they started with Silicon. They produced a range of low power transistors and diodes, then moved into power transistors. On the same site they manufactured Hybrid package products for both Automotive and Aerospace. The above photo is from the mid 1980s and shows semiconductor workers. The DT1602 devices are npn transistors with low gains (hfe= 7 & 20).