Co-founder of chip giant Intel dies at 94

The co-founder and former chairman of the processor chip pioneer Intel, Gordon Moore, died on Friday at the age of 94, the firm said.

Moore and his longtime colleague Robert Noyce founded Intel in July 1968. Moore initially served as executive vice president until 1975, when he became president.

In 1979, Moore was named chairman of the board and chief executive officer, posts he held until 1987, when he gave up the chief executive position and continued as chairman.

In 1997, Moore became chairman emeritus, stepping down in 2006.

Along with his wife of 72 years, he established the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, which has donated more than $5.1 billion to charitable causes since its founding in 2000.

Gordon Earle Moore was born in San Francisco on January 3, 1929, to Walter Harold and Florence Almira "Mira" (Williamson) Moore.

Moore was educated at San Jose State University, the University of California at Berkeley, and the California Institute of Technology, where he was awarded a PhD in chemistry in 1954.

He started his research career at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland. He returned to California in 1956 to join Shockley Semiconductor.

In 1957, Moore co-founded Fairchild Semiconductor, a division of Fairchild Camera and Instrument, along with Robert Noyce and six other colleagues from Shockley Semiconductor.

Eleven years later, Moore and Noyce co-founded Intel.

In 1950, Moore married Betty Irene Whitaker, who survives him. Moore is also survived by sons Kenneth and Steven and four grandchildren.