Masatoshi Shima
Japanese engineer who co-designed the Intel 4004, the first microprocessor
- Age
- 83 yrs
- Birthday in 289 days
- Works listed
- 2
- Microprocessor
- Honours
- 1
- Most recent 1997
- Profile views
- 3
- 0 followers
Masatoshi Shima is a Japanese electronics engineer who, while working for the calculator maker Busicom, co-designed the logic of the Intel 4004, the first commercial microprocessor. He later designed the Intel 8080 and the Zilog Z80 with Federico Faggin.
Biography
Background
Shima studied organic chemistry at Tohoku University and joined Busicom, a Japanese calculator company, where he learned logic design.
The 4004
In 1969 Busicom sent Shima to Intel to work on chips for a new calculator. After Ted Hoff proposed a general-purpose processor, Shima worked with Federico Faggin in 1970–71 to complete the detailed logic design of the 4004.
8080 and Z80
Shima joined Intel in 1972 and was a lead designer of the 8080, the chip used in the Altair 8800. He then joined Faggin at Zilog to design the Z80 and Z8000.
Later career
He founded Intel’s design centre in Japan and later worked at universities and his own companies. He shared the 1997 Kyoto Prize with Faggin, Hoff and Stanley Mazor.
Timeline
-
1943
Born in Shizuoka, Japan
-
1967
Joins Busicom
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1969
Sent to Intel for the calculator project
-
1971
4004 completed
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1972
Joins Intel
-
1974
Intel 8080
-
1976
Zilog Z80
-
1997
Kyoto Prize
Notable works
-
1971
Intel 4004 Microprocessor
-
1974
Intel 8080 Microprocessor
Awards and honours
-
Kyoto Prize
1997
Did you know?
-
1
He studied chemistry, not electronics, at university.
-
2
The 8080 he co-designed powered the Altair 8800, for which Microsoft wrote its first product.
-
3
The Z80 he co-designed is still manufactured.
Connections
Frequently asked
Who is Masatoshi Shima?
Masatoshi Shima is a Japanese electronics engineer who, while working for the calculator maker Busicom, co-designed the logic of the Intel 4004, the first commercial microprocessor. He later designed the Intel 8080 and the Zilog Z80 with Federico Faggin.
How old is Masatoshi Shima?
Masatoshi Shima is 83 years old, born on 22 August 1943 in Shizuoka, Japan.
Where is Masatoshi Shima from?
Masatoshi Shima was born in Shizuoka, Japan.
What is Masatoshi Shima known for?
Masatoshi Shima is best known for Logic design of the Intel 4004; Intel 8080; Zilog Z80.
What awards has Masatoshi Shima received?
Notable honours include Kyoto Prize (1997).
References
- Masatoshi Shima — Wikipedia. Wikipedia. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
- Masatoshi Shima (Q2414244) — structured data. Wikidata. Retrieved 4 November 2026.
Includes material from the Wikipedia article “Masatoshi Shima”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. That text is available under the same licence. Learn more
External links
About this profile
- Researched by the TrackFame editorial team; reviewed by Sanjay Sokal under our editorial policy
- First published 4 November 2026
- Last updated
Cite this page
“Masatoshi Shima.” TrackFame, last updated 5 November 2026. https://trackfame.com/person/masatoshi-shima
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