Intel 1103 Memory chip package, 1970

Color slide of the Intel 1103 Memory chip package. Concept: Ted Hoff. Design: John Reed. This first DRAM is also the first of the chips that would enable the explosive growth of PC's; 1970 MIL became the official second source supplier for Intels 1103; MIL deviated from Intels specification to increase the yield by means of reducing the chip area and enlarging the wafers but the yield decreased to almost zero. Intel stepped into the breach and satisfied nearly the whole market need for 1103; in the end of 1971 Intel delivered the 1103 to 14 of the 18 leading computer manufacturers. Since the production costs of the 1103 were much lower than the costs of a core memory or a 1101 the 1103 could establish within the market rapidly, became the world's best selling memory chip and was finally responsible for the obsolescence of magnetic core memory. Technology: The 1103 is a 1K bit PMOS Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) chip; refreshing of all 1024 bits is accomplished in 32 read cycles and is required every two milliseconds