# Six Words That Built the IC Industry | Unhacking the 2020 Election | Epic Leadership in an Epidemic

- Show: [EE Times Current](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current)
- Published: 2020-04-03
- Length: 43m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2020-04-03-six-words-that-built-the-ic-industry-unhacking-the-2020-election-epic-leadership
- Listen: https://podcast.show/aspencore/episode/57952031/

## Summary

Industry legend Steve Hofstein recounts how he and Fred Hyman at RCA solved the surface state problem in MOS transistors using hydrogen annealing, a breakthrough that enabled the integrated circuit industry. Hofstein describes a pivotal exchange with Andy Grove in a Las Vegas pool where Grove identified sodium contamination as the remaining instability issue, allowing RCA to share its process with Intel without violating licensing agreements. The episode also covers the vulnerability of U.S. electronic voting systems and the push for paper ballots, alongside commentary on leadership during the pandemic.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2020-04-03-six-words-that-built-the-ic-industry-unhacking-the-2020-election-epic-leadership#t=0) Introduction and Leadership Commentary
- [6:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2020-04-03-six-words-that-built-the-ic-industry-unhacking-the-2020-election-epic-leadership#t=406) Steve Hofstein and the RCA MOS Transistor Breakthrough
- [19:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2020-04-03-six-words-that-built-the-ic-industry-unhacking-the-2020-election-epic-leadership#t=1146) The Las Vegas Pool Exchange with Andy Grove
- [29:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2020-04-03-six-words-that-built-the-ic-industry-unhacking-the-2020-election-epic-leadership#t=1746) Unhacking the 2020 Election with Anne Thrift
- [33:14](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2020-04-03-six-words-that-built-the-ic-industry-unhacking-the-2020-election-epic-leadership#t=1994) Election Integrity and Paper Ballots with George Leopold
- [39:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2020-04-03-six-words-that-built-the-ic-industry-unhacking-the-2020-election-epic-leadership#t=2362) Way Back Machine: Twitter, Pentium, and Three Mile Island

## Topics

- [Chips, FPGAs & semiconductors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/chips-and-fpgas)
- [Security & privacy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/security-and-privacy)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)

## Most relevant to

large enterprises

## Mentioned

- RCA (company)
- Intel (company)
- Fairchild (company)
- Bell Laboratories (company)
- Texas Instruments (company)
- Pentium (product)
- Twitter (product)
- Three Mile Island (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Steve Sanghi - Microchip CEO for 31 Years!](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2023-05-15-steve-sanghi-microchip-ceo-for-31-years) (The Amp Hour)
- [Histogrammic or Histomagraphical](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2022-02-21-histogrammic-or-histomagraphical) (The Amp Hour)
- [Our First Call In Show](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2015-11-06-our-first-call-in-show) (The Amp Hour)
- [No One Even Missed Us?](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2015-11-20-no-one-even-missed-us) (The Amp Hour)
- [Intel, EPA & Brown Field - Google's Ground Gurgitation](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2013-02-26-intel-epa-brown-field-googles-ground-gurgitation) (The Amp Hour)

## Citing this page

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