So the question was asked this morning on Bart & Jen in the Morning, What is the best invention of our time? We had several calls, but Jim's call was the top! The microchip! Without it we would not have any of the tools we have today. So the question was asked...who invented the microchip? Well here's the answer, thanks to about.com
The History of the Integrated Circuit aka Microchip
Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce
By Mary Bellis, About.com Guide
See More About:
* jack kilby
* robert noyce
* microchip
* integrated circuit
* history of computers
"illustration from Jack Kilby's inventor's journal "
illustration from Jack Kilby's inventor's journal
integrated circuit
"What we didn't realize then was that the integrated circuit would reduce the cost of electronic functions by a factor of a million to one, nothing had ever done that for anything before" - Jack Kilby
The Integrated Circuit
It seems that the integrated circuit was destined to be invented. Two separate inventors, unaware of each other's activities, invented almost identical integrated circuits or ICs at nearly the same time.
Jack Kilby, an engineer with a background in ceramic-based silk screen circuit boards and transistor-based hearing aids, started working for Texas Instruments in 1958. A year earlier, research engineer Robert Noyce had co-founded the Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation. From 1958 to 1959, both electrical engineers were working on an answer to the same dilemma: how to make more of less.
Why the Integrated Circuit Was Needed
In designing a complex electronic machine like a computer it was always necessary to increase the number of components involved in order to make technical advances. The monolithic (formed from a single crystal) integrated circuit placed the previously separated transistors, resistors, capacitors and all the connecting wiring onto a single crystal (or 'chip') made of semiconductor material. Kilby used germanium and Noyce used silicon for the semiconductor material.
Patents for the Integrated Circuit
In 1959 both parties applied for patents. Jack Kilby and Texas Instruments received U.S. patent #3,138,743 for miniaturized electronic circuits. Robert Noyce and the Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation received U.S. patent #2,981,877 for a silicon based integrated circuit. The two companies wisely decided to cross license their technologies after several years of legal battles, creating a global market now worth about $1 trillion a year.
~Peace & Blessings~
Jen
The History of the Integrated Circuit aka Microchip
Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce
By Mary Bellis, About.com Guide
See More About:
* jack kilby
* robert noyce
* microchip
* integrated circuit
* history of computers
"illustration from Jack Kilby's inventor's journal "
illustration from Jack Kilby's inventor's journal
integrated circuit
"What we didn't realize then was that the integrated circuit would reduce the cost of electronic functions by a factor of a million to one, nothing had ever done that for anything before" - Jack Kilby
The Integrated Circuit
It seems that the integrated circuit was destined to be invented. Two separate inventors, unaware of each other's activities, invented almost identical integrated circuits or ICs at nearly the same time.
Jack Kilby, an engineer with a background in ceramic-based silk screen circuit boards and transistor-based hearing aids, started working for Texas Instruments in 1958. A year earlier, research engineer Robert Noyce had co-founded the Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation. From 1958 to 1959, both electrical engineers were working on an answer to the same dilemma: how to make more of less.
Why the Integrated Circuit Was Needed
In designing a complex electronic machine like a computer it was always necessary to increase the number of components involved in order to make technical advances. The monolithic (formed from a single crystal) integrated circuit placed the previously separated transistors, resistors, capacitors and all the connecting wiring onto a single crystal (or 'chip') made of semiconductor material. Kilby used germanium and Noyce used silicon for the semiconductor material.
Patents for the Integrated Circuit
In 1959 both parties applied for patents. Jack Kilby and Texas Instruments received U.S. patent #3,138,743 for miniaturized electronic circuits. Robert Noyce and the Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation received U.S. patent #2,981,877 for a silicon based integrated circuit. The two companies wisely decided to cross license their technologies after several years of legal battles, creating a global market now worth about $1 trillion a year.
~Peace & Blessings~
Jen
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