Recently I had the pleasure of visiting the Intel Museum in Santa Clara, California during my trip to the Drive World / Embedded Systems Conference 2019 (more information on this separate event later). Despite running on a very tight schedule, I found out about the museum through a map search and felt the opportunity was too good to pass up.

Intel Brief History

Intel is a major provider of semiconductor devices. While the organization certainly isn’t the only one, I think it’s fair to say its devices are some of the most iconic and influential in computer engineering. Much of what we do in these fields was heavily influenced by the organization: whether that means you are using the many descendants of the 8086 instruction set, or you are custom-building your next PC.

The Museum

First, I should say that Intel operates an official web page for the Intel Museum (see: intel.com), and I recommend checking that out for additional information.

Visiting the museum was absolutely free, and the organization apparently welcomes field trips for students. At the time of my visit, the official website recommended calling in advance to see if the venue might be booked by a visiting group; however, this was not an issue.

Computing Eras

One thing I can certainly appreciate is a nice, comprehensive view of computing history: past through the present. This is exactly what I was able to find on my visit. The exhibits are sectioned into different areas that each cover a unique time period or a different aspect of semiconductor fabrication.

In the sections I would probably call the “vintage computing era,” the timeline covers several key people and events that led to Intel’s Founding:

• The early lives of Robert Noyce, Gordon Moore, and Andrew Grove
• The years immediately following the resignation of “The Traitorous Eight” from Shockley Semiconductor Laboratory (1957) to form Fairchild Semiconductor
• The founding of Intel (originally called N M Electronics)

On the devices side are some of the most iconic systems in computing history such as the Intel 4004 central processing unit (CPU), a device that would help pave the way for affordable, miniaturized desktop computers. And of course, we also have the legendary 8086 processor, etched using 3000 nm processes compared to the sub-10 nm devices of today. Even if these names sound unfamiliar, I think the individual exhibits to a decent job at explaining their significance, and where they were used.

Beyond this is what I would probably call the “post-Pentium” era, followed by the “post-Moore” era. “Post-Moore” refers to the time period of computing we are currently in, where integrated circuits are so miniaturized, we increasingly depend on unorthodox methods and materials to improve them at a steady rate. The idea of a post-Moore world was well-explained through the use of illustration and interactive materials.

And speaking of which, one thing that will always earn my respect in a museum is the use of interactive materials—which Intel makes good use of. The location hosts many tours for students of all ages, so anything that can engage young visitors through interactivity gets my approval. Abstract concepts such as device scaling, fabrication, and end-use applications were well-explained through the use of easy-to-use touch screen interfaces.

Fabrication Exhibits

This brief history lesson also includes a few implications of the dotcom bubble burst of 2001 and the global financial crisis of 2008. This provides a bit of a sobering reminder that microfabrication is not only a technical challenge, but an economic challenge as well. This was part of the motivation for companies like Intel to progressively use larger and large wafers in spite of transistors becoming smaller.

Of course, the experience wouldn’t be complete without some basic information on how the devices are fabricated in the first place. The later exhibits delve right into the materials science of the semiconductor wafer. This includes a brief explanation of the Czochralski process (CZ) process that chip-makers use to grow pure silicon ingots (although I don’t recall if the CZ process was called out specifically by name).

For good measure, this area also includes real silicon ingots scaled down from what one would find in a foundry today.

Summary

Overall, I would highly recommend taking time out of your schedule to visit the Intel Museum. On returning to the show, I did happen to bump into a few embedded engineers and software developers who had also visited the location, and the overall impression was very positive.

As a personal preference, I would have liked to see the museum floor space expanded to include more on the materials engineering, or to include a few post-Moore technologies. This was also echoed by one person I met at the conference. Still, I can understand that the Intel does also depend on the Noyce facility in its regular operations. This IS an office building after all, and there may be practical limits in the space they can provide.

One area I would expand on (without the need for added floor space) might be to include updated exhibits on the Core i9 series, which is the Intel series currently catered to enthusiasts and gamers.

My one regret was that I did not book a guided tour, which I will probably try on my next visit to the area. If that time comes, I will be sure to share that experience with you.

Intel is a registered trademark of the Intel Corporation. Intel Core is a trademark of the Intel Corporation.

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