Identity area
Reference code
MS 429
Title
Professor Cyril Hilsum papers
Date(s)
- 1975-1982 (Creation)
Level of description
Collection
Extent and medium
20 letters; 1 catalogue summary page
Context area
Name of creator
(1925-)
Biographical history
Professor Cyril Hilsum is an engineer, physicist and academic. In 1943 he was accepted into University College London where we gained a BSc, then joined the Royal Naval Scientific Service in 1945, moving to the Admiralty Research Laboratory two years later. He was transferred to Services Electronic Research Laboratory and on to Royal Radar Establishment. His research on gallium arsenide in the 1960s, liquid crystals in the 1970s and high temperature semiconductors in the 1980s led to Professor Hilsum playing a major role in the early development of some of the key technologies which underpin life in the 21st century. He produced the first LCD pixel driven by amorphous silicon transistors which went on to form the basis of LCD screens we use today.
Repository
Archival history
The correspondence was in the posession of Professor Hilsum.
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Correspondence relating to the potential of Spear & Le Comber's amorphous silicon research:
/1 Walter Spear to Desmond King at the National Research Development Corporation regarding advice on applications, 30th September 1975, original
/2 John Roach, Electrical Engineering & Electronics Group at the National Research Development Corporation, to Walter Spear, suggesting contact with Cyril Hilsum, 15th October 1975, copy
/3 John Roach to Cyril Hilsum advising collaboraton with a device manufacturer, 24th October 1975, original
/4 Cyril Hilsum to John Roach apologising for a delay in responding as would like time to think about Spear's interesting developments, 14th November 1975, 2 copies
/5 Cyril Hilsum to John Roach regarding giving advice on applications, 9th December 1975, copy
/6 John Roach to Cyril Hilsum refering to the potential of an amorphous silicon technology and patent rights, 16th December 1975, original
/7 Walter Spear to Cyril Hilsum regarding development of a thin film transistor rather than a diode, 19th January 1976, original
/8 John Roach to Cyril Hilsum regarding the NRDC not supporting Spear, 28th January 1976, original
/9 Walter Spear to Cyril Hilsum about the supply of an amorphous silicon switch, 18th March 1976, original /10 Cyril Hilsum to Walter Spear acknowledging receipt of an amorphous silicon switch specimen, 26th March 1976, copy
/11 Walter Spear to Cyril Hilsum referring to amorphous p-n junctions, 2nd June 1976, original
/12 Cyril Hilsum to Walter Spear acknowledging receipt of thin transistor film; the findings are promising, 14th November 1978, copy
/13 Walter Spear to Cyril Hilsum, a covering letter referring to a draft C.V.D application (there is no copy of this draft included), 8th December 1978, original
/14 Cyril Hilsum to Walter Spear, comments on C.V.D proposal, 12 December 1978, copy
/15 Walter Spear to Cyril Hilsum on progress, the appointment of a 'competent research assistant' and a recent publication, 8th May 1979, original and a copy
/16 Walter Spear to Cyril Hilsum regarding contacts within industry, and concerns the amorphous silicon switch may be picked up by others, 12 August 1981, original
/17 Walter Spear to Cyril Hilsum regarding progress on devices; 500 element panels; effect of temperature on FET devices; radiation resistance of FET; effects of illumination of FET performance; shift register, 17th November 1981, original
/18 Walter Spear to Cyril Hilsum regarding transfer know-how and expertise in the context of industrial development and close collaborations developing between Racal and Dundee, 11th May 1982, original
/19 Walter Spear to H J Muir at the Ministry of Defence concerning the CVD contract on 'the application of a-Si IGFET device to a liquid crystal display panel', 27th October 1982, original
/20 Cyril Hilsum to Walter Spear regarding royalty shares, patents and licensing, 5th November 1982, copy
/21 Catalogue summary of letters in chronological order.
/1 Walter Spear to Desmond King at the National Research Development Corporation regarding advice on applications, 30th September 1975, original
/2 John Roach, Electrical Engineering & Electronics Group at the National Research Development Corporation, to Walter Spear, suggesting contact with Cyril Hilsum, 15th October 1975, copy
/3 John Roach to Cyril Hilsum advising collaboraton with a device manufacturer, 24th October 1975, original
/4 Cyril Hilsum to John Roach apologising for a delay in responding as would like time to think about Spear's interesting developments, 14th November 1975, 2 copies
/5 Cyril Hilsum to John Roach regarding giving advice on applications, 9th December 1975, copy
/6 John Roach to Cyril Hilsum refering to the potential of an amorphous silicon technology and patent rights, 16th December 1975, original
/7 Walter Spear to Cyril Hilsum regarding development of a thin film transistor rather than a diode, 19th January 1976, original
/8 John Roach to Cyril Hilsum regarding the NRDC not supporting Spear, 28th January 1976, original
/9 Walter Spear to Cyril Hilsum about the supply of an amorphous silicon switch, 18th March 1976, original /10 Cyril Hilsum to Walter Spear acknowledging receipt of an amorphous silicon switch specimen, 26th March 1976, copy
/11 Walter Spear to Cyril Hilsum referring to amorphous p-n junctions, 2nd June 1976, original
/12 Cyril Hilsum to Walter Spear acknowledging receipt of thin transistor film; the findings are promising, 14th November 1978, copy
/13 Walter Spear to Cyril Hilsum, a covering letter referring to a draft C.V.D application (there is no copy of this draft included), 8th December 1978, original
/14 Cyril Hilsum to Walter Spear, comments on C.V.D proposal, 12 December 1978, copy
/15 Walter Spear to Cyril Hilsum on progress, the appointment of a 'competent research assistant' and a recent publication, 8th May 1979, original and a copy
/16 Walter Spear to Cyril Hilsum regarding contacts within industry, and concerns the amorphous silicon switch may be picked up by others, 12 August 1981, original
/17 Walter Spear to Cyril Hilsum regarding progress on devices; 500 element panels; effect of temperature on FET devices; radiation resistance of FET; effects of illumination of FET performance; shift register, 17th November 1981, original
/18 Walter Spear to Cyril Hilsum regarding transfer know-how and expertise in the context of industrial development and close collaborations developing between Racal and Dundee, 11th May 1982, original
/19 Walter Spear to H J Muir at the Ministry of Defence concerning the CVD contract on 'the application of a-Si IGFET device to a liquid crystal display panel', 27th October 1982, original
/20 Cyril Hilsum to Walter Spear regarding royalty shares, patents and licensing, 5th November 1982, copy
/21 Catalogue summary of letters in chronological order.
Accruals
Not expected
System of arrangement
Usually chronological within series.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Open for consultation subject to preservation requirements. Access must also conform to the restrictions of the Data Protection Act (2018), General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR, 2018) and any other relevant legislation or restrictions. Clinical information is closed for 100 years.
Conditions governing reproduction
Reproduction is available subject to preservation requirements. Charges may be made for this service, and copyright and other restrictions may apply; please check with the Duty Archivist.
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
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Finding aids
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
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Alternative identifier(s)
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Description control area
Description identifier
MS 429
Rules and/or conventions used
Description compiled in line with the following standards: International Council on Archives, ISAD(G) General International Standard Archival Description; International Council on Archives, ISAAR(CPF): International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons, and Families; National Council on Archives, Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997
Status
Catalogued
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
- English