American Experience: Silicon Valley

A profile of Robert Noyce (1927-90), the leader of the "traitorous eight" who left Shockley Semiconductor Company in 1957 to form Fairchild Semiconductor, a company that became a pivotal player in the technology sphere. Noyce co-invented the integrated circuit, which is an essential component of every modern electronic device; and, as leader of Fairchild (and eventually Intel), helped create the Silicon Valley culture that prizes openness over hierarchy, risk over stability, and jeans over suits.