Carl Marcus Olson
Encyclopedia
Carl Marcus Olson has been credited as the discoverer of the process to make silicon
pure.
. His father, Dr. Oscar N. Olson, a clergyman, and his mother, Wilhelmina Peterson Olson raised him and his older sister Heloise in Sioux City, IA, and Rock Island, IL. He graduated from Rock Island High School
and Augustana College, IL. After graduating from Augustana in 1932, he went to the University of Chicago
for his Ph.D.
Company in Baltimore, MD, at the Krebs Pigment and Color plant as a chemist/physicist for work on the white pigment titanium dioxide
. During World War II
, an effort was underway to develop electrical components for radar
. The key material needed in both paint research and electronics was pure silicon
. His research at DuPont pinpointed a way to purify the element, and he grew the first crystal of hyper-pure silicon
. As a result, DuPont started a silicon production program, which in the in the following years led to use of available silicon for circuits and semiconductors. The predominent use of silicon
for these components and chips lead to the area around San Jose, CA to be nicknamed the "Silicon Valley
". Dr. Olson died on May 16, 2011 at the age of 99.
Silicon
Silicon is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. A tetravalent metalloid, it is less reactive than its chemical analog carbon, the nonmetal directly above it in the periodic table, but more reactive than germanium, the metalloid directly below it in the table...
pure.
Early life
Carl Marcus Olson was born in 1911, to Swedish immigrants in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. His father, Dr. Oscar N. Olson, a clergyman, and his mother, Wilhelmina Peterson Olson raised him and his older sister Heloise in Sioux City, IA, and Rock Island, IL. He graduated from Rock Island High School
Rock Island High School
Rock Island High School, also known as "Rocky", is a public four-year high school located in Rock Island, Illinois, USA. Rocky is within the Rock Island-Milan School District No. 41, and the school colors are crimson and gold.-Technology:...
and Augustana College, IL. After graduating from Augustana in 1932, he went to the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
for his Ph.D.
Professional Life
Dr. Olson was recruited to work for the DuPontDuPont
E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company , commonly referred to as DuPont, is an American chemical company that was founded in July 1802 as a gunpowder mill by Eleuthère Irénée du Pont. DuPont was the world's third largest chemical company based on market capitalization and ninth based on revenue in 2009...
Company in Baltimore, MD, at the Krebs Pigment and Color plant as a chemist/physicist for work on the white pigment titanium dioxide
Titanium dioxide
Titanium dioxide, also known as titanium oxide or titania, is the naturally occurring oxide of titanium, chemical formula . When used as a pigment, it is called titanium white, Pigment White 6, or CI 77891. Generally it comes in two different forms, rutile and anatase. It has a wide range of...
. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, an effort was underway to develop electrical components for radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
. The key material needed in both paint research and electronics was pure silicon
Silicon
Silicon is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. A tetravalent metalloid, it is less reactive than its chemical analog carbon, the nonmetal directly above it in the periodic table, but more reactive than germanium, the metalloid directly below it in the table...
. His research at DuPont pinpointed a way to purify the element, and he grew the first crystal of hyper-pure silicon
Silicon
Silicon is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. A tetravalent metalloid, it is less reactive than its chemical analog carbon, the nonmetal directly above it in the periodic table, but more reactive than germanium, the metalloid directly below it in the table...
. As a result, DuPont started a silicon production program, which in the in the following years led to use of available silicon for circuits and semiconductors. The predominent use of silicon
Silicon
Silicon is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. A tetravalent metalloid, it is less reactive than its chemical analog carbon, the nonmetal directly above it in the periodic table, but more reactive than germanium, the metalloid directly below it in the table...
for these components and chips lead to the area around San Jose, CA to be nicknamed the "Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
". Dr. Olson died on May 16, 2011 at the age of 99.