Synaptics Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board Receives AeA/Stanford Executive Institute Alumnus Award.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 20, 2003

Tomorrow AeA, the nation's largest high-tech industry group, will present Federico Faggin, Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board of Synaptics, Inc., with the second annual AeA/Stanford Executive Institute Award for Outstanding Achievement by an alumnus.

Each year, the Achievement award recognizes a graduate of the AeA/Stanford Executive Institute who has made significant contributions to the high-tech industry and his/her community.

Since 1975, the AeA/Stanford Executive Institute has combined the expertise and resources of AeA and the world-renowned Stanford University department of Management Science and Engineering. This year, the Graduate School of Business joined the program, adding their expertise to the Institute. Nearly 3,000 alumni have completed the intense 2-week executive development program on the Stanford campus.

Faggin graduated from the AeA/Stanford Executive Institute in 1981, while he was Chairman of Zilog. Faggin co-founded Zilog in 1974 after his departure from Intel. As Zilog CEO from 1974-1980, Faggin conceived the well-known Z80, a rival to Intel's 8080 and one of the best selling microprocessors in industry history.

In addition to co-founding Zilog, in 1986 Faggin co-founded Synaptics, Inc. and also served as president and CEO of the company until January 1999, and since then has served as Chairman of the Board.

In 1968, Federico developed the silicon gate technology at Fairchild Semiconductor, the world's first commercial self-aligned metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) process that made possible the creation of semiconductor memories and the microprocessor. He also co-invented and designed the world's first microprocessor, the Intel 4004 and conceived and supervised the design of the Intel 8080, the first high-performance microprocessor.

Throughout his distinguished career, Faggin has earned many awards and honors, including IEEE W. Wallace McDowell Award for his role in the development of silicon gate technology and the world's first microprocessor, and the Kyoto Prize for Advanced Technology. In 1996, Faggin was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in Akron, Ohio.

"Federico is well known within the technical community as a true innovator. We are very proud that the AeA/Stanford Executive Institute experience aided him in his later significant business contributions," states Bill Archey, CEO of AeA.

The graduates from large, medium and small high-tech companies consider the AeA/Stanford Executive Institute to have greatly enhanced their business acumen and leadership skills and be an essential part of their career development.

Advancing the business of technology, AeA is the nation's largest high-tech trade association. AeA represents more than 3,000 companies with 1.8 million employees. AeA's 3000+ members span the high-technology spectrum, from software, semiconductors, medical devices and computers to Internet technology, advanced electronics and telecommunications systems and services. With 17 regional U.S. councils and offices in Brussels and Beijing, AeA offers a unique global policy grassroots capability and a wide portfolio of valuable business services and products for the high-tech industry. AeA has been the accepted voice of the U.S. technology community since 1943. For more information, please visit www.aeanet.org.