Born: 13 August 1927, United States
Died: 24 May 1968
Country most active: United States
Also known as: Frances Betty Sarnat
The following bio was written by Emma Rosen, author of On This Day She Made History: 366 Days With Women Who Shaped the World and This Day In Human Ingenuity & Discovery: 366 Days of Scientific Milestones with Women in the Spotlight, and has been republished with permission.
Frances Sarnat Hugle was an American scientist, engineer, and inventor who significantly contributed to our understanding of semiconductors, integrated circuitry, and the unique electrical principles of small-scale materials. She also developed techniques, processes, and equipment for the practical (high-volume) fabrication of microscopic circuitry, integrated circuits, and microprocessors that remain in use today.
In 1962, Hugle co-founded Siliconix, one of the earliest semiconductor companies in Silicon Valley. She is the sole woman featured in the “Semiconductor Family Tree.”
Hugle was granted seventeen patents, some posthumously. Her accomplishments include the invention of tape automated bonding (TAB), which General Electric adopted commercially. She also held the first patent for flex-based packaging. Additionally, her pioneering efforts extended to early flip-chip technology.