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What TI Bought From Harris Semiconductor—and What Happened to Its Logic Parts

TI acquired Harris Semiconductor’s commercial and standard-military standard-logic product line in 1998, covering CD4000, HC4, HCT, FCT and ACT. Harris retained radiation-hardened logic; buyers should check the exact datasheet, marking and qualification for legacy parts.
From TheFinanceBase Team3 min to read
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Texas Instruments acquired Harris Semiconductor’s commercial and standard-military standard-logic product line in 1998—not Harris Semiconductor itself. The deal covered rights and inventory for five logic families: CD4000, HC4, HCT, FCT and ACT. Harris retained its radiation-hardened logic products, while TI took responsibility for the acquired portfolio and planned to manufacture it at its Sherman, Texas wafer facility.

What did Texas Instruments buy from Harris?

On November 6, 1998, EDN reported that TI had agreed to acquire Harris Semiconductor’s commercial and military standard-logic product line. The package included existing inventory and intellectual-property rights associated with five series. It did not include Harris operations, manufacturing facilities or employees, and the companies did not disclose the financial terms.

TI’s corporate history records the Harris logic product line as a 1998 acquisition. The acquired families were:

  • CD4000: CMOS logic.
  • HC4: the HC4xxx family.
  • HCT: HCT logic.
  • FCT: FCT logic.
  • ACT: ACT logic.

At the time, EDN described standard logic as a $2.5 billion semiconductor segment, citing Insight Onsite in 1998. Although growth was weak, these functions remained widely used in system designs. That figure describes the segment at the time, not the value or price of the Harris transaction.

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Why did the companies make the deal?

TI sought a broader logic portfolio

TI said the product line would extend its standard-logic offerings to existing and new customers. A TI spokesman told EDN, “We feel this acquisition will make us more competitive across logic lines by broadening our portfolio.”

Harris wanted to focus elsewhere

Harris said logic no longer fit its strategic focus. It planned to concentrate resources on power, communications and its newly formed space-and-defense business, while keeping its radiation-hardened logic families. EDN’s companion transaction report described Harris as an interim foundry during the transition and said completion was subject to government review.

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Could customers keep ordering Harris logic parts?

Yes. TI’s official Harris-product customer Q&A said customers could continue ordering military devices by Harris datasheet part number. TI said it would offer common devices under both TI and Harris datasheets and had no plans to discontinue Harris device types other than discontinuations Harris had already announced.

The part number and ordering route mattered because they identified which document governed the device. TI explained that devices could carry TI or Harris markings depending on the SMD and ordering route:

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  • Order by the Harris standard part number when the Harris datasheet version is required.
  • Order by the TI standard part number when the TI datasheet version is required.
  • Order by the applicable SMD number when compliance with that drawing is required.

TI’s Q&A says common devices would be offered to both datasheets; it does not establish that every device, package or grade had an interchangeable counterpart. Buyers should match the exact device documentation and marking to their design or procurement requirement rather than treating similar family names as proof of equivalence.

How did TI handle manufacturing and military qualification?

TI described a three-stage transition for military devices, moving from existing Harris die assembled at TI, to Harris designs fabricated on TI wafers, and then to military final release for each device or family. Harris’s interim-foundry role supported the transition, but the documents do not mean every part moved through each stage on the same schedule.

  1. Qualify existing Harris die in TI assembly.
  2. Qualify Harris designs on TI wafer fabrication.
  3. Qualify each device or family for military final release.

TI said it would retain existing screening and acceptance testing unless an elimination was fully qualified under MIL-PRF-38535 QML change procedures. A military-grade designation or familiar part number alone therefore does not establish a device’s present qualification status; that must be checked for the specific part and release.

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What should legacy buyers verify before ordering?

For a replacement or continued production purchase, start with the exact function and compare the full device documentation—not just the family prefix. In particular, verify:

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  • the required product family and logic function;
  • whether the need is commercial grade or standard-military grade;
  • the governing datasheet, revision and marking;
  • package and temperature range;
  • the manufacturing source and relevant qualification status; and
  • current availability and lead time with the seller.

“CD4000 series logic IC” is a useful search phrase for parts in the acquired CD4000 family, but it is not a substitute for checking the exact function, supply-voltage requirements, package, temperature grade, datasheet revision and manufacturer marking. For military procurement, also confirm the required SMD or other qualification documentation. The historical acquisition and TI transition policy do not establish which former Harris SKUs are currently in stock or what lead times apply.

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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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