Carl John Frosch (September 6, 1908 – May 18, 1984)Carl J Frosch (1908-1984)
Find A Grave was a

Bell Labs Nokia Bell Labs, originally named Bell Telephone Laboratories (1925–1984), then AT&T Bell Laboratories (1984–1996) and Bell Labs Innovations (1996–2007), is an American industrial research and scientific development company owned by mult ...

researcher who discovered that

silicon Silicon is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. It is a hard, brittle crystalline solid with a blue-grey metallic luster, and is a tetravalent metalloid and semiconductor. It is a member of group 14 in the periodic tab ...

could be protectively coated with

silicon dioxide Silicon dioxide, also known as silica, is an oxide of silicon with the chemical formula , most commonly found in nature as quartz and in various living organisms. In many parts of the world, silica is the major constituent of sand. Silica is one ...

by the right exposure to

oxygen Oxygen is the chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group in the periodic table, a highly reactive nonmetal, and an oxidizing agent that readily forms oxides with most elements as wel ...

when hot. Such protective coating overcame a problem of

surface state Surface states are electronic states found at the surface of materials. They are formed due to the sharp transition from solid material that ends with a surface and are found only at the atom layers closest to the surface. The termination of a mate ...

s found in active silicon circuit elements. The discovery also revealed the potential for the process of silicon

etching Etching is traditionally the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio (incised) in the metal. In modern manufacturing, other chemicals may be used on other types ...

. This discovery process was akin to that of

penicillin Penicillins (P, PCN or PEN) are a group of β-lactam antibiotics originally obtained from ''Penicillium'' moulds, principally '' P. chrysogenum'' and '' P. rubens''. Most penicillins in clinical use are synthesised by P. chrysogenum using ...

in that an accidental event led to the discovery of the solution to a major problem.

References

* Michael Riordan & Lillian Hoddeson (1997) ''Crystal Fire'', page 222, W. W. Norton & Company . ;Specific

External links

Silicon Burns
A description of the discovery from the point of view of a colleague at Bell Labs. 1908 births 1984 deaths Scientists at Bell Labs {{US-scientist-stub