Atmel Corporation was a leading designer and manufacturer of semiconductors, particularly known for its microcontrollers, capacitive touch solutions, advanced logic, mixed-signal, nonvolatile memory, and Radio Frequency (RF) components. Founded in 1984 by George Perlegos, Atmel initially operated as a fabless company, leveraging external fabrication facilities to produce its innovative memory products. The company expanded its product line to include a wide range of semiconductor solutions, including microcontrollers (8-bit AVR, 32-bit AVR, and 32-bit ARM-based), RF devices, EEPROM and flash memory, symmetric and asymmetric security chips, and touch sensors. Atmel's products were used in various applications such as consumer electronics, industrial automation, automotive systems, aerospace, and medical devices. The company was acquired by Microchip Technology in 2016 for $3.6 billion, integrating its extensive portfolio into Microchip's offerings.