Industry Trends in the 1960s

1960s

IC technology invented in the United States in 1957 began industrialization in Japan, the United States, and Europe from the early 1960s.
Initially, transistors used in electronic devices for space, military, industrial, and consumer applications were replaced by Bipolar ICs. Third-generation computers using ICs appeared by the mid-1960s. High integration, following Moore's Law, began advancing primarily for computing applications, including the development of MOS ICs.
Japan, which became the world's largest transistor producer in 1960, immediately began learning and adopting U.S. IC technology. This led to the IC and LSI Integration of electronic circuits for consumer devices like radios, TVs, and calculators. A public-private joint project simultaneously aimed at domestic production of ICs for third-generation computers computer-compatible ICs advanced the strengthening of the technological foundation for the shift to VLSI in the 1970s.

1960sJapanese semiconductor manufacturers rigorously implemented quality-oriented management

Japan's transistor production, which began in the 1950s, rigorously applied quality control methods based on W. Deming's principles. By the early 1960s, Japan became the world's leading transistor producer and laid the foundation for the explosive growth of the LSI industry in the 1970s and beyond.

Early 1960sJapan became the world's largest producer of transistors

Following germanium transistors, Japanese manufacturers acquired silicon transistor technology from the United States. Through strengthening and expanding mass production techniques and manufacturing bases, Japan became the world's largest transistor producer.

1960sThe Semiconductor Industry Moving Toward an Information Society

In 1963, the transition to a new social structure called “information society” was predicted. The semiconductor industry also began accelerating its efforts toward this new social structure.

1964The Emergence of Mainframe Computers

IBM announced the System/360 computer in 1964. This marked the beginning of mainframe computers and simultaneously became the trigger for the synchronized evolution of computers and semiconductor integrated circuits.

1965Moore's Law announced from Silicon Valley

G. Moore announced an empirical rule stating that the number of transistors on an IC doubles approximately every year in an exponential pattern in 1965.
The global semiconductor industry has shared this law, building and developing a common technological foundation.

Late 1960sThe Launch of the IC Industry and Japan's Trend

IC technology, invented in 1958/59, led to the start of IC adoption centered in the United States from the early 1960s. Then, around the late 1960s, the IC industry began in the United States, Europe, and Japan in earnest.

1966Establishment of the Ultra-High-Performance Electronic Computer Research Association under the government's industrial development policy

In 1966, concerned about IBM's dominance of the Japanese computer market, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) launched a joint development project between private companies—a practice prohibited by U.S. antitrust laws. This initiative accelerated the domestic production of computers and the ICs used in them, while simultaneously strengthening Japan's industrial foundation for ICs and LSIs.

1968The founding of Intel

Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore left Fairchild to found Intel in 1968, The company pioneered MOS IC memory—essential for computing—and MPU LSI, while simultaneously leading the semiconductor process generation shift that sustained Moore's Law

1969Expansion of Japan's LSI Industry driven by Calculators

The market expansion of LSI calculators by companies like Sharp in 1969 led to the growth of Japan's LSI industry in the early 1970s.

1969World's First CMOS LSI Application Product

CMOS LSI, which became mainstream in the 1980s was applied to personal consumer electronics beforehand. The first application was in electronic wristwatches in 1969, followed by adoption in LSI calculators during the 1970s. Reducing power consumption was a constant demand in electronic devices.

Since 1969NTT has actively promoted the development of LSIs for information and communications.

NTT launched a joint development project with four companies—NEC, Hitachi, and Fujitsu under the leadership of the Electronics and Communications Research Institute in 1969,
The project aimed to develop computers capable of processing data communications for providing diverse electronic communication services. The DIPS-1 computer, equipped with pioneering features surpassing the mainframes of the time, became operational in 1972.
Simultaneously, it spearheaded the advancement of Japan's semiconductor technology in the 1970s, which was moving toward VLSI integration.