Mostek

Mostek Corporation was an American integrated-circuit manufacturer established in 1969 by L. J. Sevin, Louay E. Sharif, Richard L. Petritz, and other engineers who had previously worked at Texas Instruments. The company began as a design and manufacturing venture in an era when MOS technology was competing with established bipolar semiconductor processes. Its early work included custom circuit design for Burroughs, calculator circuits, memory devices, telecommunications components, and microprocessors. Mostek’s first manufactured design was the MK1001 barrel-shifter integrated circuit, produced with an aluminum-gate PMOS process. The company then developed the MK4006 1K DRAM, which benefited from its work on ion implantation and MOS manufacturing. These technologies helped Mostek produce comparatively fast and economical memory devices for computer manufacturers. Manufacturing initially involved Sprague Electric facilities in Worcester, Massachusetts, before production became concentrated at Mostek’s Carrollton, Texas headquarters during the first half of the 1970s. The company’s most important technical contribution was dynamic RAM address multiplexing. Robert Proebsting’s work led to the MK4096, a 4K-by-1 DRAM introduced in 1973. By sharing address pins between row and column addresses, the design allowed the memory chip to use a smaller 16-pin package rather than the larger packages then common among competitors. The approach reduced package cost, board space, and silicon requirements, and created a scalable architecture for later memory generations. Mostek followed with the MK4027 and the MK4116, a 16K DRAM that became one of the most widely used memory chips of its period. The MK4116 reportedly exceeded 75 percent worldwide DRAM market share, making Mostek a leading supplier to computer and minicomputer manufacturers. Mostek also built a substantial non-memory business. Its telecommunications portfolio included tone and pulse dialers, touch-tone decoders, counters, top-octave generator circuits for electronic organs, CODECs, watch circuits, and custom devices. Calculator work included the MK6010, developed for Busicom’s LE-120A calculator and described as the first single-chip calculator circuit. Mostek also supplied integrated circuits for Hewlett-Packard calculator products and developed custom wristwatch components for Bulova and other customers. An industrial and telecommunications product group helped diversify revenue, although its market position weakened as management increasingly prioritized DRAM. In microprocessors, Mostek introduced the MK5065 8-bit PMOS processor in 1974 and later produced the MK3870, a single-chip implementation related to Fairchild’s F8 architecture. The company also became a second-source manufacturer for Zilog’s Z80 processor, selling it as the MK3880. Mostek’s layout and process work reduced the size of the Z80 design and helped Zilog obtain additional manufacturing capacity during the processor’s early expansion. Mostek negotiated or pursued second-source relationships involving Intel’s 8086 family and Motorola’s 68000 and VME-related products, but it did not build a sustained strategic position in microprocessors comparable to its DRAM leadership. United Technologies Corporation acquired Mostek in 1979 for approximately $345 million, reportedly to prevent an unwanted takeover by Gould. UTC invested heavily in expansion and attempted to support the company through semiconductor and electronics downturns. However, the business became increasingly exposed to the cyclical commodity-DRAM market. Japanese manufacturers gained substantial share through lower-priced memory products, and United States producers later accused Japanese competitors of dumping DRAM in the American market. Mostek was also delayed in bringing its 256K DRAM into volume production because of an ambitious double-layer metallization design, while prices for existing memory generations collapsed. UTC closed Mostek in October 1985 and sold the operation shortly afterward to Thomson-CSF for approximately $71 million. Thomson recalled only part of the former workforce and operated the business under the TCMC name, meaning Thomson Components–Mostek Corporation. In 1987, Thomson combined its semiconductor activities, including the former Mostek operations, with Italy’s SGS-ATES. The resulting company became SGS-Thomson and was renamed STMicroelectronics in 1998. Mostek’s semiconductor patents and related intellectual property remained valuable; licensing activity associated with the portfolio reportedly generated substantial royalty revenue for the successor organization. Mostek itself no longer operates as an independent brand, but its DRAM architecture, products, patents, and alumni influenced later memory, processor, and semiconductor companies.

Mostek was founded in 1969 in the United States by L. J. Sevin, Louay E. Sharif, Richard L. Petritz, and other former Texas Instruments employees. Its initial business combined custom circuit design with MOS integrated-circuit manufacturing. The company’s first customer was Burroughs, for which Mostek completed a small circuit-design contract. Early production was carried out with Sprague Electric in Worcester, Massachusetts, while Mostek developed its own manufacturing capability. The MK1001 barrel-shifter circuit was the first Mostek design to enter production. The company then introduced the MK4006 1K DRAM, using aluminum-gate PMOS technology and manufacturing improvements associated with ion implantation. By 1974, production had largely moved to the Carrollton, Texas facility. Mostek’s process expertise helped it compete in MOS devices at a time when many rivals were still more heavily committed to bipolar technology. Mostek became particularly influential in memory through address multiplexing. Robert Proebsting developed the approach used in the MK4096 4K DRAM, introduced in 1973. Instead of requiring separate pins for all row and column address signals, the design reused address pins in sequence. This reduced package size and cost and provided a scalable path for future DRAM generations. Although initially questioned by competitors, the method proved reliable and became central to the industry’s memory architecture. Mostek subsequently introduced the MK4027 and MK4116. The MK4116, designed by Paul Schroeder and Robert Proebsting, became a major commercial success and gave Mostek dominant worldwide DRAM share during the late 1970s. The company developed several adjacent product businesses. It made single-chip calculator devices, including the MK6010 for Busicom’s LE-120A calculator, and supplied circuits for Hewlett-Packard products. It produced telephone dialing and tone-decoding devices, CODECs, counters, watch circuits, electronic-organ tone generators, and customer-specific integrated circuits. A 1975 wafer-fabrication fire temporarily disrupted production and required some products to be transferred to Synertek for manufacturing. Mostek also made microprocessors, including the MK5065 and MK3870, and became a production partner and second source for the Zilog Z80, marketed as the MK3880. Despite opportunities in processors and telecommunications, Mostek increasingly concentrated on DRAM. The company’s position peaked in the late 1970s, when it reportedly held approximately 85 percent of the global DRAM market. United Technologies acquired Mostek in 1979 for about $345 million. UTC funded expansion and continued investment, but the company’s dependence on commodity memory exposed it to severe cyclical pressure. Japanese semiconductor manufacturers expanded rapidly and competed at much lower prices. American producers accused Japanese firms of dumping memory products, while the resulting regulatory action arrived after prices had already fallen dramatically. Mostek’s transition to the 256K DRAM generation was also delayed. Its technically ambitious design was not ready for volume production when the price of earlier 64K devices collapsed. UTC ultimately closed Mostek in October 1985 and sold the operation to Thomson-CSF for approximately $71 million. Thomson resumed only a fraction of the former workforce and operated the business as TCMC. In 1987, Thomson’s semiconductor business was merged with SGS-ATES, forming the corporate lineage that became STMicroelectronics. Mostek’s intellectual property, particularly its DRAM patents, remained commercially important and generated licensing income for the successor organization. The Mostek corporate operation disappeared, but its engineers and technology influenced later companies including Micron Technology, Cyrix, Convex Computer, Dallas Semiconductor, and other semiconductor ventures.

• 1998

  SGS-Thomson becomes STMicroelectronics

  [1]Mosteken.wikipedia.org

  Following Thomson’s exit from the ownership structure, SGS-Thomson adopts the STMicroelectronics name.

• 1987

  Former Mostek operations join the SGS-Thomson lineage

  [1]Mosteken.wikipedia.org

  Thomson’s semiconductor operations, including the former Mostek business, combine with SGS-ATES.

• 1985

  Mostek is closed and sold to Thomson-CSF

  [1]Mosteken.wikipedia.org

  UTC closes Mostek after prolonged losses and sells the operation to Thomson-CSF for approximately $71 million.

• 1979

  United Technologies acquires Mostek

  [1]Mosteken.wikipedia.org

  UTC purchases Mostek for approximately $345 million.

• 1977

  MK4116 and MK3870 expand the product portfolio

  [1]Mosteken.wikipedia.org

  The company introduces the commercially important MK4116 DRAM and the MK3870 single-chip processor related to Fairchild’s F8 architecture.

• 1976

  MK4027 silicon-gate DRAM arrives

  [1]Mosteken.wikipedia.org

  Mostek introduces an improved silicon-gate version of its earlier DRAM architecture.

• 1973

  MK4096 introduces multiplexed DRAM addressing

  [1]Mosteken.wikipedia.org

  Mostek introduces the MK4096, whose shared row-and-column address pins reduce package and system cost.

• 1971

  MK6010 enters the Busicom LE-120A

  [1]Mosteken.wikipedia.org

  The MK6010 is used in Busicom’s LE-120A, a notably compact early electronic calculator.

• 1970

  Calculator development begins for Busicom

  [1]Mosteken.wikipedia.org

  Mostek works with Busicom on an electronic calculator circuit that later becomes the MK6010.

• 1969

  Mostek is founded

  [1]Mosteken.wikipedia.org

  L. J. Sevin, Louay E. Sharif, Richard L. Petritz, and other former Texas Instruments employees establish Mostek as a semiconductor design and manufacturing company.

Mostek positioned itself as an innovative, high-volume MOS integrated-circuit manufacturer. Its strongest differentiation was the combination of low-cost MOS production, advanced DRAM packaging and addressing techniques, and the ability to manufacture custom and second-source devices for major electronics companies.

• Barrel-shifter integrated circuit

  MK1001

  Mostek’s first design to enter production, the MK1001 was a simple barrel-shifter device made with an aluminum-gate PMOS process. It demonstrated the company’s early focus on practical MOS integrated circuits and custom logic.

• DRAM · 1973

  MK4096

  The MK4096 was a 4K-by-1 dynamic RAM introduced in 1973. Its multiplexed row-and-column addressing allowed a 16-pin package and reduced system cost and board area. The architecture became an important foundation for later DRAM generations.

• DRAM · 1976

  MK4027

  Introduced in 1976, the MK4027 was a silicon-gate improvement over the earlier metal-gate memory design. It extended Mostek’s address-multiplexed DRAM strategy and supported the company’s expansion in computer memory.

• 16K DRAM · 1977

  MK4116

  The MK4116 was a 16K double-poly silicon-gate DRAM designed by Paul Schroeder and Robert Proebsting. It became one of Mostek’s signature products and achieved exceptionally high worldwide DRAM share. Variants of its architecture influenced later memory products.

• DRAM

  MK4164 and MK41256

  The MK4164 and MK41256 extended Mostek’s multiplexed DRAM family into higher-density generations. They retained the basic multiplexed address and control concepts associated with the company’s earlier memory products, although Mostek’s 256K generation was delayed commercially.

• Calculator integrated circuit · 1971

  MK6010

  The MK6010 was a single-chip calculator circuit developed for Busicom and used in the LE-120A. Its integration helped make the calculator unusually small for its time and established Mostek as a supplier of high-volume consumer-electronics silicon.

• 8-bit microprocessor · 1974

  MK5065

  Introduced in 1974, the MK5065 was an 8-bit PMOS processor with 51 instructions and multiple register sets. It was among Mostek’s efforts to extend from memory and calculator circuits into general-purpose microprocessors.

• Microprocessor · 1977

  MK3870

  The MK3870 combined functions associated with Fairchild’s two-chip F8 processor family into one device. It was used as a basis for custom products and was subsequently licensed back to Fairchild.

• Z80-compatible microprocessor

  MK3880

  The MK3880 was Mostek’s second-source version of Zilog’s Z80. Mostek applied advanced layout techniques to shrink the design and provided Zilog with manufacturing capacity during the Z80’s early market growth.

• 1987

  Former Mostek semiconductor operations merge with SGS-ATESM&A

  Background

  Thomson reorganized its semiconductor activities after acquiring the former Mostek operation.

  Action taken

  The business was combined with Italy’s SGS-ATES, creating SGS-Thomson.

  Aftermath

  The resulting company was renamed STMicroelectronics in 1998, while Mostek’s intellectual property continued to support licensing activity.

  Source

• 1985

  Mostek is closed after failure to regain DRAM competitivenessStrategy

  Background

  Japanese suppliers gained share in commodity DRAM, prices collapsed, and Mostek’s 256K product was delayed by a technically ambitious manufacturing design.

  Action taken

  UTC terminated Mostek’s operations and sold the business to Thomson-CSF.

  Aftermath

  Thomson restarted only a portion of the workforce under the TCMC name; the former Mostek operation later entered the SGS-Thomson and STMicroelectronics corporate lineage.

  Sale value to Thomson-CSF. 71 million USD (1985)

  Source

• 1979

  United Technologies purchases MostekM&A

  Background

  Mostek was approaching its tenth anniversary and faced an attempted unwanted takeover involving Gould and a large block of stock options associated with Sprague Electric.

  Action taken

  United Technologies acquired Mostek for approximately $345 million and made it part of its semiconductor activities.

  Aftermath

  UTC invested heavily in expansion but allowed the business to become increasingly concentrated in the highly cyclical DRAM market.

  Acquisition value. 345 million USD (1979)

  Source

1. 1Mosteken.wikipedia.org