Frances Hugle

Frances Hugle was a female scientist, engineer and inventor who made numerous contributions in the 1950s and 1960s to the understanding of semiconductors, integrated circuitry and the unique electrical principles of microscopic materials. She also invented techniques, processes and equipment for practical (high volume) fabrication of microscopic circuitry, integrated circuits and microprocessors which are still in use today.

In 1962, she co-founded Siliconix, one of Silicon Valley's first semiconductor houses and is the only woman credited with being a Silicon Valley founder. Frances Hugle died in May 1968.

Notable inventions

She is widely credited with the invention of TAB (tape automated bonding), and a few of her contributions are noted in the Smithsonian's Chip Collection. Frances Hugle is also the only woman included in the "Semiconductor Family Tree".

In 1956, two years before Noyce or Kilby, Frances Hugle filed a patent in which she described how to fabricate an integrated circuit:

Semi-Conductive Films and Method of Producing Them, Patent number: 3226271, F. B. Hugle et al., Filing date: Mar 29, 1956, Issue date: Dec 28, 1965, Paragraph 7, Page 5.

In 1966, she unexpectedly discovered the unique and critical electrical principles of microscopic semiconductors which enabled the design and fabrication of the microprocessor.

In 1967, Frances Hugle filed a patent in which she described how to make a microprocessor:

Method of Manufacturing Improved MIS Transistor Arrays, Patent number: 3574007, F. Hugle, Filing date: Jul 19, 1967, Issue date: Apr 6, 1971.

From the abstract:

This invention relates to a method of producing large arrays of semiconductor devices on non-single crystal insulating substrates under conditions of extreme cleanliness and surface protection.

She was the first person to file for a patent describing how to make a microprocessor though her patent was not awarded until years after it was filed and only after Faggin, et al. had already received a patent for the microprocessor.

Education and teaching

Frances Betty Sarnat (m. Hugle) attended Hyde Park High School in South Side Chicago, where she participated in many of the school's science clubs, including the chemistry, physics and biology clubs. In the spring of 1944, just before her graduation, she was selected to represent Hyde Park High in Chicago's Math Contest, where she took first place.

Following high school, she attended the University of Chicago. In 1946, at the age of eighteen, she was awarded a Ph.B with honors in chemistry with minors in physics and mathematics and an extension until August 1947 to complete some of the course work.

She also did graduate studies in crystallography including studies in x-ray diffraction techniques at the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY.

In 1957, The University of Chicago additionally awarded her their S.B. degree in chemistry based upon the course work she completed between 1944 and 1947.

In 1960, she received an MS degree from the University of Cincinnati. Her thesis is Cathodic Deplating of Rhodium.

She also received an honorary doctorate from a Canadian university and in the mid 1960s, taught at Santa Clara University.

Professional career

Hugle founded her first research company, Hyco Labs, in the mid 1940s and assumed the title of Director of Research. At Hyco Labs, she began the research and development of materials, processes and specialized equipment that continued to be dominant themes throughout her professional career. She sums up her work at Hyco in one of her early resumes:

Duties in Research: Founded and organized this research company. Considerable Study and development of exsolution phenomena, as they occur in crystals. Design and instrumentation of crystal growing apparatus including completely automatic Verneuil burners. Set up and supervised fabrication of extremely hard materials into desired shapes.

After marrying, she co-founded Stuart Laboratories, Inc. with her husband, William Hugle. Frances worked at Stuart Laboratories from October 1949 until February 1951.

In March 1951, she went to work for Standard Electronics Research Corp., where she was cleared for "Secret" work. She remained at Standard Electronics Research Corp until August 1952, and shortly thereafter obtained employment at Baldwin. While at Baldwin, Hugle was again assigned to classified military and space contracts and traveled extensively collaborating with numerous engineers and scientists throughout the US.

In 1959, Frances and Bill suddenly left Baldwin and began work at Westinghouse in Pittsburgh.

In 1960, at the request of Westinghouse, the Hugles moved to southern California to set up an astro-electronics laboratory.

In late 1961, the Hugles moved again to Santa Clara in the San Francisco Bay Area where in 1962, Frances co-founded Siliconix. She developed Siliconix's first products and became its first Director of Research.

From the "Introduction and Background of the Principal Parties" section of the Siliconix SEC filing, "Siliconix Incorporated was founded in March 1962 by Richard Lee from Texas Instruments, Frances Hugle from Westinghouse and her husband Bill Hugle. It became one of the most well-respected Silicon Valley semiconductor companies. It was one of the very first semiconductor chip makers in the Valley. Siliconix focuses on research and development, high quality products and customer service."

Baldwin reportedly provided the funding for Siliconix because "Fran Hugle, developed one of the world's earliest integrated circuits" while working at Baldwin in the fifties.

After leaving Siliconix in 1964, Hugle developed products for two more semiconductor companies that she co-founded with her husband; Stewart Warner Microcircuits, and Hugle Industries.

Partial list of patents

• Semi-conductive Films and Method of Producing Them, F. B. Hugle et al., Patent number: 3226271, Filing date: Mar 29, 1956, Issue date: Dec 28, 1965
• Method of Ultra-Fine Semiconductor Manufacture, Frances B. Hugle, assignor to Siliconix Incorporated, Patent number: 3165430, Filing date: 21 Jan 1963, Issue date: 12 Jan 1965
• Self-Compensating Structure for Limiting Base Drive Current in Transistors, Frances B. Hugle (Assignor to William B. Hugle, Executor of said Frances B. Hugle), Patent number: 3465213, Filing date: Jun 20, 1966, Issue date: Sep 2, 1969
• Automated Packaging of Semiconductors, Frances Hugle, assignor to Frances Hugle as trustee of Frances Hugle Trust, Patent number: 3440027, Filing date: 22 Jun 1966, Issue date: 22 Apr 1969
• Isolation Technique for Integrated Circuits, Frances Hugle, assignor to Frances Hugle as trustee of Frances Hugle Trust, Patent number: 3481,801, filed: Oct. 10, 1966, serial number 585,351, patented: Dec. 2, 1969
• Carrier for Semiconductor Devices, F. Hugle et al., Patent number: 3465874, Filing date: 12 Jun 1967, Issue date: 9 Sep 1969
• Method of Aligning Semiconductors, Frances Hugle, assignor to Frances Hugle, trustee of Frances Hugle Trust, Patent number: 3465150, Filing date: 15 Jun 1967, Issue date: 2 Sep 1969
• Masking Technique for Selective Etching, Frances Hugle, assignor to Frances Hugle, trustee of Frances Hugle Trust, Patent number: 3574014, Filing date: 24 Jul 1967, Issue date: 6 Apr 1971
• Method of Manufacturing Improved MIS Transistor Arrays, Frances Hugle, assignor to Frances Hugle, trustee of Frances Hugle Trust, Patent number: 3574007, Filing date: Jul 19, 1967, Issue date: Apr 6, 1971

Expanded list of patents

Frances Hugle submitted at least 42 patent applications. Some of the earliest were docketed by her employer, the Baldwin Piano Company, and may not have been filed ultimately with the US Patent Office.

The following are eighteen patents known to have been issued (application dates, patent dates, patent number, title and whether co-filed):

29 March, 1956 01 Aug, 1961 2,994,621 Semi-Conductive Films and Methods of Producing Them (w/Wm. Hugle)

29 March, 1956 28 Dec, 1965 3,226,271 Semi-Conductive Films and Methods of Producing Them (w/Wm. Hugle)

05 April, 1957 19 Dec, 1961 3,013,956 Methods of Etching Metals in the Platinum Group and Producing Printed Circuits Therefrom (w/ Wm. Hugle)

05 Feb, 1959 08 June, 1965 3,187,414 Method of Producing a Photocell Assembly (w/Wm. Hugle)

25 July, 1961 A Cheap Planar CBTL Block for Low Frequency (<100 KC) Operation

21 Jan, 1963 12 Jan, 1965 3,165,430 Method of Ultra-fine Semiconductor Manufacture

08 April, 1963 28 June, 1966 3,258,359 Semiconductor Etch and Oxidation Process

22 April, 1963 27 June, 1967 3,328,214 Process for Manufacturing Horizontal Transistor Structure

22 April, 1963 12 April, 1966 3,246,214 Horizontally Aligned Junction Transistor Structure Oct, 1967 3,344,555

20 June, 1966 02 Sept, 1969 3,465,213 Self-Compensating Structure for Limiting Base Drive Current in Transistors

22 June, 1966 22 April, 1969 3,440,027 Automated Packaging of Semiconductors (first TAB process)

10 Oct, 1966 02 Dec, 1969 3,481,801 Isolation Technique for Integrated Circuits

12 June, 1967 09 Sept, 1969 3,465,874 Carrier for Semiconductor Devices (w/Wm. Perrine)

15 June, 1967 02 Sept, 1969 3,465,150 Method of Aligning Semiconductors

19 July, 1967 06 April, 1971 3,574,007 Method of Manufacturing Improved MIS Transistor Arrays

24 July, 1967 06 April, 1971 3,574,014 Masking Technique for Selective Etching

13 May, 1968 22 Dec, 1970 3,549,232 Microscopic Alignment Mechanism

04 Sept, 1968 16 Dec, 1969 3,484,621 Sequencing Mechanism Electronic Logic

Additionally, the following patent applications were submitted by Frances while she was employed at Baldwin, docketed and of unknown outcome:

1955 As of 1959 --Unfiled but docketed; have abstract Mounting Means for Small Crystals

1956 As of 1959 --Unfiled but docketed; have abstract Crystal-Growing Process (Salt Melt)

1956 As of 1959 --Unfiled but docketed; have abstract Photoelectric Musical Instrument (Multiple Cells Responsive to Different Ranges)

1957 As of 1959 --Unfiled but docketed; have abstract Chemical Deposition Process (Cadmium Selenide)

1957 As of 1959 --Unfiled but docketed; have abstract Process for Producing Front-Surface Rhodium Mirrors

1958 As of 1959 --Unfiled but docketed; have abstract Method of Cutting Single-Crystal Phosphors (alkali Halides)

1958 As of 1959 --Unfiled but docketed; have abstract Method of Improving Time-Constant of Photocells

1958 As of 1959 --Unfiled but docketed; have abstract Electropiano (Tone Action Activation by Slow Photocells)

1958 As of 1959 --Unfiled but docketed; have abstract Temperature Control for Encoder (Cooling)

1958 As of 1959 --Unfiled but docketed; have abstract Photocell Assembly (Silicon, Photovoltaic)

1959 As of 1959 --Unfiled but docketed; have abstract Photocapacitor Employing Semi-Conductor

1959 As of 1959 --Unfiled but docketed; have abstract Wave Form Reproducer (Mirrors Scan)

External links

• SEC Info, Siliconix Inc, Introduction and Background of the Principal Parties – http://www.secinfo.com/dVut2.zbZq.6.htm#i76v
• Vishay, Vishay 50-Year Timeline, Siliconix, 1962: Siliconix is founded – http://www.vishay.com/landingpage/50year/siliconix.html
• Method of Manufacturing Improved MIS Transistor Arrays, Frances Hugle et al. (microprocessor patent, filed: July 19, 1967, awarded: April 6, 1971) – http://www.google.com/patents/US3574007?printsec=abstract#v=onepage&q&f=false
• "General Electric called it Mimi-Mod; Motorola called it Spider, and the first patent (despite an IP spat) was granted to a woman engineer, Frances Hugle, of Hugle Industries in 1969." E. Jan Vardaman, The Flexibility of Flex Circuits, Printed Circuit Design and Fab, Friday, 29 October 2010 17:17 – http://pcdandf.com/cms/component/content/article/232-2010-issues/7569-on-the-forefront
• Method of Aligning Semiconductors (the 'TAB' patent), F. Hugle, filed: June 15, 1967, awarded: Sept. 2, 1969 – http://www.google.com/patents?id=VilyAAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4#v=onepage&q&f=false
• Patent Cover Graphic, Isolation Technique for Integrated Circuits, Frances Hugle, Filed October 10, 1966, Awarded Dec 2, 1969, United States Patent 3,481,801, Smithsonian Chip Collection, National Museum of American History – http://smithsonianchips.si.edu/patents/3481801.htm