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NXP History

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Decades of combined expertise and innovation.

Our technology enabled the first words relayed from the moon and ever since we've been accelerating the breakthroughs that advance our world. Take a deep dive into NXP's rich history. In September 2021, NXP celebrated 15 years as a company. Watch our anniversary video.

NXP History
  • 1940
  • 1950
  • 1960
  • 1970
  • 1980
  • 1990
  • 2000
  • NXP Established 2006
  • 2010
  • 2020
NXP-HISTORY-1949

Motorola semiconductor development group founded in Phoenix, Arizona.

NXP-HISTORY-1953

Philips enters semiconductor industry with manufacturing and development in Nijmegen, Netherlands, opening its first chip production facility in 1955.

NXP-HISTORY-1955

Motorola introduces germanium transistor for car radios—the world’s first commercial high-power transistor.

NXP-HISTORY-1955

Motorola teams up with the U.S. space program; virtually every manned and unmanned space flight since then has used Motorola/ Freescale technology.

NXP-HISTORY-1969

First words from the Moon to the Earth relayed by a Motorola transponder.

NXP-HISTORY-1974

Motorola introduces its first microprocessor—the MC6800 8-bit modelr.

Motorola and its automotive customers develop the world’s first microprocessor-based engine control, the EEC III module, designed to reduce fuel consumption and emissions.

NXP-HISTORY-1983

Philips Semiconductor’s TDA7000 FM radio receiver is the first complete radio on a chip and is listed by IEEE® as “One of the 25 Microchips that Shook the World”.

NXP-HISTORY-1984

Motorola launches the MC68020—the world’s first true 32-bit microprocessor.

NXP-HISTORY-1989

Motorola pioneers communications processors with industry’s first multi-protocol microprocessor.

NXP-HISTORY-1991

Philips develops the first CAN/LIN transceiver for invehicle networking that meets strict automotive standards.

NXP-HISTORY-1992

First design of Philips’ One-chip TV—one of the IEEE’s “25 Microchips that Shook the World”.

NXP-HISTORY-1993

Philips Semiconductor founded.

NXP-HISTORY-1994

Philips launches MIFARE® 1K chip for automatic fare collection.

NXP-HISTORY-1995

Motorola technology powers OnStar®—one of the first Internet of Things applications.

NXP-HISTORY-1995-1

Philips launches the Dirana car audio DSP, which would lead Philips/NXP to become market leader in car audio a few years later.

NXP-HISTORY-1996

Philips introduces LDMOS technology for RF power amplifiers, setting a new industry benchmark in cellular base stations.

Motorola is one of first to deliver microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) inertial sensors for automotive airbags, addressing automotive safety issues.

NXP-HISTORY-1997

Philips launches the GreenChip power supply chip, which significantly improves energy efficiency of TVs, notebooks and desktops.

The e-switch product family creation is the first dual-die power package.

NXP-HISTORY-2002

Philips Semiconductors and Sony invent Near Field Communication (NFC).

NXP-HISTORY-2002-1

World’s first tubing-free wireless insulin pump for diabetes patients uses Motorola microprocessors.

NXP-HISTORY-2004

Philips releases the first angular sensor as a system-in-package (SIP).

Motorola Semiconductor Products Sector becomes Freescale Semiconductor, Inc.

NXP-HISTORY-2006
NXP-HISTORY-2009

NXP launches first industry-standard NFC IC, the PN544.

NXP-HISTORY-2010

NXP listed on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange in New York City.

NXP launches the SafeAssure® program.

NXP-HISTORY-2011

NXP ships world’s fastest Arm® Cortex®-M4 and Cortex-M3 microcontrollers.

Freescale launches industry’s first magnetometer combining a magnetic sensor, accelerometer and pressure sensor; designed for location tracking in smart mobile devices.

NXP-HISTORY-2011-1

Freescale introduces industry’s first multimode wireless base station processors, scaling from small to large cells.

NXP-HISTORY-2012

NXP launches JN516x wireless microcontroller family for the Internet of Things.

NXP-HISTORY-2012-2

NXP launches MIFARE Ultralight EV1—the smart paper ticketing IC.

NXP-HISTORY-2012-1

Freescale launches industry’s first MCU built on the Arm Cortex-M0+ processor.

NXP-HISTORY-2013-1

First power management IC integrating functional safety in the SafeAssure portfolio.

NXP-HISTORY-2013

Ships one billionth GreenChip IC.

NXP-HISTORY-2013-2

NXP Semiconductors N.V. joins NASDAQ-100 Index.

NXP-HISTORY-2013-3

NXP launches the first 77 GHz radar IC for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).

NXP-HISTORY-2014

Datang NXP Semiconductors established, becoming China’s first true automotive semiconductor business.

NXP creates the first integrated solution for microwave heating/cooking.

NXP-HISTORY-2015

NXP engineers win the distinguished “European Inventor Award for NFC”.

NXP-HISTORY-2015-1

NXP and Freescale merge into the worlds’s 4th largest semiconductor company and largest automotive supplier.

NXP-HISTORY-2016-1

NXP launches battery management portfolio with battery cell controllers for Li-ion batteries.

Thomson Reuters Foundation honors NXP with the prestigious “Stop Slavery Award”.

NXP-HISTORY-2016

NXP provides V2X and RFID technology for the U.S. Department of Transportation Smart City Challenge.

NXP-HISTORY-2017

Launch of UCODE 8 the industry’s most power efficient global RAIN RFID chip for omnichannel retail data.

NXP introduces the S32 automotive platform, with fully-scalable computing architecture to bring future vehicles to market faster.

NXP-HISTORY-2017-1

#1 supplier of microcontrollers with 19% market share, according to IC Insights.

Industry’s first 65 V LDMOS technology, enabling ultra-rugged products up to 1.8 kW in power.

NXP presents the world’s first car infotainment radio/audio one-chip solution for global radio broadcast standards.

NXP-HISTORY-2018

NXP, Mastercard and Visa transform mobile payments for billions of IoT devices (launch of mWallet 2GO).

NXP Honored as Top 100 Global Innovator.

Dutch innovation award for ultra-compact RFCMOS radar transceiver TEF810X.

NXP-HISTORY-2018

NXP delivers new security and connectivity to 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ Finals with Smart Stadium Experience.

NXP unveils secure ultra-wideband ranging technology for automotive and IoT.

NXP-HISTORY-2019-1

NXP premiers EdgeVerse™ brand platform to support the fast-growing edge computing portfolio.

NXP-HISTORY-2019

i.MX RT crossover processor for voice and face recognition—world‘s fastest sub-dollar MCU.

iOS 13 and MIFARE power innovative smart city use cases.

NXP acquires Marvell’s Wi-Fi® Connectivity Business.

NXP-HISTORY-2020

NXP selects TSMC 5nm process for next-generation high-performance automotive platform.

NXP introduces S32G networking processor unlocking the value of vehicle data.

NXP debuts i.MX applications processor with dedicated neural processing unit for advanced machine learning at the edge.

NXP-HISTORY-2020-1

NXP Advances 5G with New Gallium Nitride Fab in Arizona.

NXP-HISTORY-2021

NXP Semiconductors to Join S&P 500 Index.

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