Heritage & Precision
The Planar Process, Evolved for Space
Building on Fairchild Semiconductor's revolutionary 1959-1960 breakthrough — the foundation of all modern integrated circuits — evolved for orbital environments.
Visit PlanarPrecision.comHistorical Foundation
The Revolution That Started It All
In 1959-1960, Jean Hoerni at Fairchild Semiconductor invented the planar process — a method of fabricating transistors on a flat silicon surface using oxide layers for protection and isolation.
This breakthrough enabled the creation of integrated circuits and launched the semiconductor industry as we know it. Every chip in every device you use today traces its lineage back to this fundamental innovation.
1959
Planar process invented
1960
First planar IC produced
1959
Planar Process Patent
Jean Hoerni files patent for planar transistor fabrication at Fairchild Semiconductor
1960
Integrated Circuit
Robert Noyce combines planar process with integrated circuit concept
1968
Intel Founded
Fairchild alumni found Intel, scaling planar technology globally
2025+
Orbital Evolution
Planar Precision evolves the process for space manufacturing
Space Evolution
Why Planar Process Excels in Orbit
The same principles that made the planar process revolutionary on Earth become even more powerful in the microgravity environment of space.
Perfect Layer Deposition
Without gravity-induced flow variations, oxide and metal layers deposit with unprecedented uniformity across the entire wafer surface.
Defect-Free Crystals
Silicon crystal growth in microgravity eliminates convection-driven defects, producing substrates with orders of magnitude fewer imperfections.
Contamination Elimination
The natural vacuum of space eliminates particle contamination, reducing the complexity and cost of clean room operations.
Higher Integration Density
Cleaner processes and better substrates enable smaller feature sizes and higher transistor densities than Earth-based fabs.
Novel Material Systems
Space enables growth of III-V compounds and exotic semiconductors that are difficult or impossible to produce terrestrially.
Energy Efficiency
Free solar power and radiative cooling reduce energy costs, making energy-intensive processes economically viable.
Our Family
Two Domains, One Mission
International Space Manufacturing and Planar Precision work as complementary pieces of the same vision.
International Space Manufacturing
internationalspacemanufacturing.com
The collaborative hub focused on the orbital hybrid vision, ecosystem partnerships, and bringing together major players in space manufacturing.
- Orbital manufacturing vision
- Ecosystem collaboration
- Hybrid production model
Planar Precision
planarprecision.comThe foundational precision engineering philosophy and historical roots that underpin our orbital innovations.
- Heritage planar process
- Precision engineering
- Technical foundations
Part of the Pinnacle Empire
Explore Our Heritage
Visit PlanarPrecision.com to dive deeper into the engineering philosophy, historical foundations, and technical details behind our orbital innovations.