Digital BW, The Print

Claude,

> Carver Mead, it's founder created the gallium arsenide family of
> chips, VLSI,
> which makes ALL modern computers possible...

All?  Possible?  That's simply not true.  There are no gallium arsenide
computer chips in %99.9999999 of modern computers, these chips (processor,
memory, chipsets etc.) are silicon based.  (for those that don't know VLSI
means is Very Large Scale Integration...basically a lot of transistors
packed together in one package...and it's considered arcane technology
today, as today's computer chips are hundreds of millions of gates,
sometimes called ULSI, and most are considered ASICs today, Application
Specific IC, such as your video controller and motherboard chip set).  Also,
VLSI doesn't mean it *has* to use GaAs, GaAs is simply one of many processes
that was used to make a VLSI IC, or other semi-conductors.

GaAs is primarily used in optoelectric, RF and power devices today, such as
discrete LEDs, diodes...  It's not a very efficient process either power
wise or size wise, hence, the lack of use in modern mainstream ICs.  Gallium
Arsenide is probably going to be replaced by Silicon Germanium in short
order, as SiGe has better characteristics, and offers lower power and higher
speed.

> I co-incidentally proposed that they develop it
> based on the principles of quantum effeciciency and penetration depth of
> silicon.

What, exactly, are you saying here, Claude?  That it was your idea?  Are you
co-named on their patents?

> ...the touch pads on our
> laptops, and
> most of electronics for cell phones.

There were many companies that developed touch pads long before Synaptics
(and touch pads have nothing to do with GaAs), and I'm not sure what
involvement he had with cell phones, but from what I can tell, it wasn't
substantial, if even of much, if any, significance to the industry.

> It took 20 years for everyone to accept Carver Mead's ideas and
> realize his
> genius. Could it be he will be proven correct in 15 years?

Long before Mead and the Foveon, the ideal of three dimensional silicon for
image sensors was around.  He didn't invent the idea, "he" simply came up
with an implementation.  That is certainly significant, but he didn't invent
the idea, as you seem to believe.

You really overstate Mead's "accomplishments", and the significance of
them...why, I have no idea.

From my experience with the Foveon, it's OK, not great, but OK.  It has some
problems, and significant ones at that, mostly to do with color fidelity and
low light operation.  Whether these issues can be resolved I'm not sure.
I'm sure they can be dealt with to some degree, and I believe the technology
has a future.  Again, how significant a future, I'm not sure.

Regards,

Austin