Truemors
is reporting from
Member
NP Rank:
NP Rank:
The microchip celebrates 50th birthday
Share:
by LotusFlower | September 13, 2008 at 08:03 am
911 views | 90 Recommendations | 17 comments
Videos
Photos
September the 12th 2008 - the 50th birthday of the microchip. If Jack Kilby had been allowed holiday leave we might never have got the microchip or at least not as soon. In 50 years the chip has changed the world. Happy Birthday!
The first working microchip, or integrated circuit, was demonstrated at Texas Instruments by one of the company’s newest employees, Jack Kilby, on September 12, 1958.
It consisted of a strip of germanium with one transistor and other components all glued to a glass slide.
In July that year Kilby had not been allowed to go on holiday because he had only just joined the company.
He used the time to try to solve the problem of how to connect up a large number of electronic components in elaborate circuits in a cost-effective and efficient way.
He realised that all the components could be made from the same semiconducting material (in the first chip germanium, but these days silicon) and could be created in situ to form a complete circuit.
His rough device, measuring seven 16ths of an inch (11.5 millimetres) by one 16th of an inch, revolutionised electronics, and the world.
The microchip virtually created the modern computer industry, and the internet would be unthinkable without it. Modern communications, transport, medicine, manufacturing and commerce are all based on the remarkable processing power of microchips.
What is NowPublic?
NowPublic lets people work together to cover news events around the world.
Crowd Power
LotusFlower
Nottingham, United Kingdom
Jordan Yerman
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
bricolage
New York, New York, United States
BotheredByBees
Lithgow, New South Wales, AustraliaPeterEdin
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
nike6
Dublin, Ireland
BluAlien
California, United StatesPhydeaux460
Boise, Idaho, United Statesfox-orian
Allston, Massachusetts, United StatesMicrochip Technology
Chandler, Arizona, United StatesArlington Center for the Arts
Arlington, Massachusetts, United Statesbenjaminshinobi
New Hyde Park, New York, United Stateslenseyed
Golden, Colorado, United StatesDiego_429
PhilippinesSkrycchio
Italyfibra
Serbia and Montenegrovanstermonster
Schenectady, New York, United Statesmacrotim
Watsonville, California, United Statesthakkie77
Netherlandshappymrlocust
East Brookfield, Massachusetts, United Statesrogelio magos
MexicoBlueSunFlower
Italysurroundsound5000
Australiatbechtx
Plano, Texas, United StatesDr. Skippy
Brighton, Colorado, United Statespbinder
Kansas City, Missouri, United Statesstaticrooster
Providence, Rhode Island, United StatesJuampe López
SpainARMIX
Austriamblsha
Russiadbradberry
Southampton,
Most RecentMost Recommended Comments (17)
at 08:08 on September 13th, 2008
Happy birthday, microchip. You've come a long way, baby.
at 08:12 on September 13th, 2008
LotusFlower, I like this story. It's good stuff.
I did not know that it was its 50th.
at 10:07 on September 13th, 2008
LotusFlower, good story. Thank you. Like many things of consequence it has been of great boon and bane for man. I wonder if Mr. kilby forseen the affect and effect his discovery has had. And what his thoughts would of been.
at 10:16 on September 13th, 2008
LotusFlower, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 12:01 on September 13th, 2008
LotusFlower, I like this story. It's good stuff.
Awww, they grow up so fast...
at 14:10 on September 13th, 2008
LotusFlower, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 14:24 on September 13th, 2008
LotusFlower, I like this story. It's good stuff. microelectonics 50 years. the founders the layouters of the chips will be the real artists of 20th century. Among the first companies National semicionductor The base was done by the Bell labs inventing the transistor (the japanese made the transistor radio out of it) The real push came from John F. Kennedy's moon program. decision for calculators went to TI. For moon landing TI created the Texas instrument TI 45 or 35 with red display. The main impact of microelectronics was the new thinking ahead of time. Products did not exist, but practically sold by US marketing on growing demand. It was a fascinating time hire and fire, always the ladder up $20 000 more for the next job. Leaving after 6 months to get president in a spin off or AMD or Intel. Thanks for your report history microelectronics
at 14:57 on September 13th, 2008
thanks for this background comment solarlife - and the flag!
at 16:50 on September 13th, 2008
LotusFlower, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 18:19 on September 13th, 2008
I add my photo of a popular microcontroller, the Microchip PIC16F628A.
Juampe López has contributed a photo to this story.
at 01:51 on September 14th, 2008
Thanks for your invite.
at 02:05 on September 14th, 2008
MB-6582 SID synthesizer project designed by Thorsten Klose and Jason Williams built by Sasa Djuric
fibra has contributed a photo to this story.
at 04:51 on September 14th, 2008
LotusFlower, I like this story. It's good stuff.
at 06:34 on September 14th, 2008
Chips keep shrinking. As the packages get smaller, it becomes increasingly difficult to manipulate them by hand. Machines solder most components to commercial circuit boards, but you still need some tricks to prototype a new idea. This simple jig connects the tiny surface mount microcontroller to larger pins for manual wiring.
Dr. Skippy has contributed a photo to this story.
at 08:47 on September 14th, 2008
Kilby was awarded a Nobel Prize in physics in 2000 for the IC.
at 22:05 on September 14th, 2008
Thanks Fairbanks. I'd never heard of Kilby until I discovered it was the microchip's birthday.
at 23:10 on September 15th, 2008
thakkie77 has contributed a photo to this story.