As the USA spied on production of chips in the USSR

The history of creation of a computer in the USSR

Main article: The history of creation of a computer in the USSR

Nation-wide automated system (OGAS) of the USSR

Main article: Nation-wide automated system (OGAS) of the USSR

ARPANET

Main article: ARPANET

Samples from exhibitions

Emblem of the CIA of the USA

In the report of the CIA it is noted that in the USSR the active program on creation of integrated circuits works, and lines of their release work, at least, at three plants. Also Americans had unconfirmed data on similar production lines at six enterprises of the Union and existence of two more additional plants which activity is connected only with production of integrated microcircuits.

Since 1969 the integrated microcircuits at the international exhibitions began to show the USSR, every year increasing number of the provided models, authors of the document narrate. Since 1970 at exhibitions some samples of the used production equipment also began to be exposed.

"Some observers interpret these exhibitions as an indicator of the increasing level of development and capacity of the USSR on release of integrated circuits. At the same time the laboratory analysis of available samples which is carried out to the USA revealed that their design is quite primitive, and quality – generally low. Samples obviously concede to the analogs manufactured in the USA. Even products of release of 1971 with factory marking, apparently, represent prototypes", said in the report of the CIA.

Authors of the document add that the civil equipment produced in the USSR in which integrated circuits would be used is not known of existence in lots, and there are no signs of their use in the military purpose equipment.

"If the USSR is made by chips commercially, then is not clear where they are going to use them or use. And if the Union created the large-scale and viable industry of chips, then interest in large procurements of equipment and technologies at the West for production of these products puzzles also it", - authors of the report argue.

Basic technologies: problems

According to the CIA because the USSR too late received a planar silicon technology and because of permanent difficulties with production of initial silicon material in enough, production of chips in the Union nevertheless began quite recently and in very small volumes^[1]

Help: The KT315 transistor (on a photo) is considered the long-liver among the Soviet transistors. The first pilot production of this model was started in 1967, and then - serial release. In 1968 the first electronic devices based on KT315 were released. The new transistor became perevenets in the series - in it the technology was for the first time applied planar epitaskalnaya.

The technology of integrated microcircuits grows from progress in development of planar epitaxial silicon technology of transistors: integrated circuits are made using approximately same equipment and technologies, the American intelligence agents note. The first Soviet planar transistor which the USA caught for the analysis was made in 1968, and the first line of production of such transistors "foreign visitors" was seen in 1969 at the Svetlana plant in Leningrad.

Americans counted that in 1971 in the USSR the planar and planar epitaxial transistors made only 1/10 from the total number of types of the transistors available in the Soviet directories. For comparison the fact that in 1965 in the USA the production of electronic components almost completely was based on semiconductors is given in the report, the major step towards production of silicon semiconductors was taken and the basic technology and industrial base for business lot release of monolithic integrated microcircuits is created.

Rather earlier mentioned difficulties with production of initial silicon material for production of chips in the USSR, in the report, it is noted that silicon in itself is very widespread substance, however requires difficult processing using the special equipment to become suitable for production of chips.

Data that in 1968 the Union offered the processed silicon for sale to Europe, however, as the U.S. intelligence found out, the companies which bought it are provided in the report, complained of low quality of this material.

"Excursions" to production

In 1972 the CIA of the USA had information that integrated circuits were manufactured in the USSR at the plants in Bryansk, Voronezh and at the Svetlana plant in Leningrad. Also they can be made on the platform in research center in Zelenograd, the U.S. intelligence assumed. According to the CIA, in development and production of chips the plants also participate in Boryspil and Kiev and also in Minsk, Moscow, Novosibirsk and Riga.

Help: In the late fifties in the USSR the plants of semiconductor devices in Alexandrov, Bryansk, Voronezh, Riga were founded. On a photo - the building of the Bryansk plant of semiconductor devices ("EL Silicon Group" is called now

In 1961 in the USSR the resolution on development of the semiconductor industry providing construction of the plants and scientific research institute in Kiev, Minsk, Yerevan, Nalchik and other cities was accepted.]]

The CIA agent (his name from the report is cut) who visited the plant in Bryansk proceeding from the number of the transactions made per day at six-day business week estimated capacities of production of chips about the diode - transistor (DTL) and the transistor-transistor logic (TTL) on this platform approximately at 2.5-3 million pieces a year.

"According to him, production technologies lag behind for 5-10 years used in the USA. At the plant the western equipment is widely used. Some products, apparently, contain the trademark of the main American producer of integrated microcircuits in a final test stage though it (the agent - a comment of TAdviser) had no opportunity to investigate these samples close to confirm this suspicion", - results of a visit of the agent of investigation on the Bryansk plant are described in the report.

Production volumes at the plant in Leningrad were estimated as significantly smaller, than in Bryansk. The same or other agent of U.S. intelligence who visited the Svetlana plant in 1972 provided data on release of less than 100 thousand high frequency transistors in a month and noted that at this plant some western equipment is also used. In the report it is also noted that performance of the products which are released at this plant below stated to the USSR for this type of integrated microcircuits three years ago.

According to the results of visit of the plant in Voronezh, in turn, the CIA agent issued data on production power approximately in 2-3 million pieces a year. Follows from the report that the sizes of the schemes issued here, according to the American standards, are too big for the functionality provided with them.

Справка: По данным концерна "Constellation", in 1965 the Voronezh plant of semiconductor devices created the USSR's first chips of DTL of logic on solid-state technology dielectricisolated of components (KSDI) of series 104.

During 1967-1973 at the plant about 20 researches and ROC on creation and implementation in production of high-speed and micro-power integrated circuits of a small and medium integration scale of series 106, 134, 128, 149, 177 were executed. Here schemes of a transistor-transistor logic, dynamic logical networks, linear circuits, etc. entered

Unlike two previous plants, on Voronezh for production of chips the Soviet equipment was used. The agent noted existence on this platform of a large number of diffusion furnaces – about 80 pieces, however them them only about 20 at the time of his visit were really used. Installations of wire thermal-compression bonding at the plant at the same time appeared a little. The agent assumed that the plant extends, just not all the equipment arrived.

Data retrieveds demonstrate that as of 1972 about 5-7 million integrated microcircuits a year on three production sites could make the USSR, authors of the report note.

Taking into account other operating platforms the total productions can exceed 7 million pieces a year, authors of the document allow, however conclude that, anyway, they are insufficient for a covering of requirements of domestic market. For only one Row program for serial release of computers implemented those years in the USSR the Americans estimated the necessary annual volume of chips approximately at 50 million pieces. More than 400 million pieces of integrated microcircuits were produced for comparison – in 1971 in the USA, provides data of the CIA.

Import – the progress engine

"Even limited opportunities for release of integrated circuits which now the USSR has substantially are result of success of Councils in acquisition of the crucial equipment from the USA, Western Europe and Japan. At the same time, failure in acquisition of a know-how necessary for deployment, operation and support of this equipment, slowed down efforts on production of chips", - authors of the report come to a conclusion.

In the document it is also noted that the USSR are interested to purchase the western equipment and technologies in very large volumes, including "turnkey" whole production lines, and potential sales in the next several years can be very considerable.

Until the USSR does not begin to import the necessary equipment in large volumes, they will continue to lag behind the USA and the West in general, authors of the report summarize. Under their assumptions, in the next several years the Union will also not be able to provide the production rate of chips sufficient to cover the existing needs for civil and defense sectors.

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