Micron Technology Rises From Dentist's Basement to AI Chip Leader

The semiconductor company's decades-long journey to become a key supplier for the AI industry.

Published on Feb. 8, 2026

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Micron Technology, a semiconductor company that started in the basement of a dental office in Boise, Idaho in 1978, has grown to become a leading supplier of memory chips for the rapidly expanding AI industry. The company's history spans over four decades, during which it has steadily increased the capacity and performance of its memory products, paving the way for the development of more powerful computing systems and the rise of AI.

Why it matters

Micron's story highlights the resilience and adaptability of tech companies that have been able to navigate the industry's cycles and capitalize on emerging trends, such as the growing demand for memory chips to power AI hardware and software. As a major supplier of memory solutions, Micron's success is crucial for the continued advancement of AI technology and its widespread adoption.

The details

Micron began as a semiconductor chip design business, with its first contract being to design a 64-kilobit memory chip. Over the years, the company steadily increased the capacity and performance of its memory products, including the introduction of double-data-rate and quad-data-rate architectures, pseudo-static RAM, and NAND flash memory. These advancements have enabled the development of more powerful computing systems and the rise of AI.

  • Micron was founded in the basement of a dental office in Boise, Idaho in 1978.
  • In 1981, Micron built its first semiconductor chip fabrication plant in Boise.
  • Micron's 64K dynamic random access memory (DRAM) was used in popular computing equipment like the Commodore 64 home computer in the early PC era.
  • Micron cracked the 1-megabit threshold in 1987, and its products were used in PCs and graphics cards.
  • Micron introduced double-data-rate and quad-data-rate architectures in 1999 and 2000, increasing memory bandwidth.

The players

Micron Technology

A semiconductor company that started in the basement of a dental office in Boise, Idaho in 1978 and has grown to become a leading supplier of memory chips for the AI industry.

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What’s next

Micron's journey from a small start-up to an industry leader has not been without its challenges, as the company has had to navigate the ups and downs of the memory chip market. The next article in this series will explore how Micron has maintained its competitiveness and continued to innovate in the face of these market cycles.

The takeaway

Micron's story demonstrates the power of perseverance and adaptability in the tech industry. By continuously improving its memory products and expanding its global footprint, the company has positioned itself as a crucial supplier for the rapidly growing AI market, underscoring the importance of long-term vision and strategic investment in emerging technologies.