Mark Bohr, a 40-year Intel veteran and one of the chipmaker’s leading scientists, will retire in March.

Intel frequently called on Bohr to both help develop new technologies and to explain those innovations to investors and the public. He is known for being able to describe difficult concepts and explain their implications.

Though Intel’s headquarters are in California, Bohr and most other top Intel researchers work in the company’s labs in Washington County where the company develops its most advanced technology. Bohr, 65, held the title of senior fellow and director of process architecture and integration.

Intel credits him with leading the transition to two major technological advances in the past decade: the switch to new materials known as “high-k metal gate,” and “tri-gate” technology that added a third dimension to the standard transistor.

Each breakthrough helped extend improvements in semiconductor technology as conventional techniques for shrinking computer chips became more difficult as features on the chips approached the atomic level. More recently, Bohr had been directing development of Intel’s 5-nanometer chip technology – two generations ahead of the company’s current 14nm process.

Long governed by the maxim known as Moore’s Law, Intel has long produced exponential improvements in chip technology at regular intervals. The company has struggled lately, though, and its forthcoming 10nm chip is years behind schedule – and won’t be broadly available before late next year.

Bohr’s retirement is the latest in a series of exits in the chip company’s top ranks. Chief executive Brian Krzanich quit in June after the company uncovered what it called a "a past consensual relationship with an Intel employee" in violation of corporate policy. Nearly six months later, the company still hasn’t named a new CEO.

In October, though, the chipmaker split up its Oregon-based manufacturing group and announced the retirement of Sohail Ahmed, who had been jointly leading it.

Intel confirmed Bohr’s pending retirement to The Oregonian/OregonLive but did not elaborate. In a note to employees, Intel manufacturing vice president Peng Bai noted that Bohr was one of the original members of the company’s Portland Technology Group, which led decades of advancements at Intel.

“Mark has been instrumental in Intel’s pursuit of Moore’s law,” Bai wrote. “He has become a powerful spokesperson for Intel on technology and is widely acknowledged as an authority in semiconductor industry. He has also been a wonderful role model and mentor for generations of technologists.”

-- Mike Rogoway | twitter: @rogoway | 503-294-7699