Atmel Corporation was a semiconductor manufacturer that was acquired by Microchip Technology in 2016. The company was based in San Jose, California, and was founded in 1984, as a spin-off from Intel.

 

Atmel is known for its production of microcontrollers, memory, and other integrated circuits for a range of applications, including consumer electronics, automotive, and industrial control systems. The company was also renowned for its AVR, an 8-bit RISC-based microcontroller architecture, which was introduced in 1997 and quickly became one of the most popular and widely used microcontrollers in the world.

 

Throughout its existence, Atmel remained committed to open source and open standards, which made its products popular among engineers and hobbyists. The company was also known for its low power consumption microcontrollers, which made them suitable for battery-powered applications.

 

Atmel continued to innovate and evolve its technologies, creating new products and solutions for its customers, until its acquisition by Microchip Technology. Today, many of Atmel's products are still in use in a wide range of applications, and its legacy continues to shape the semiconductor industry.