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The Man Behind the Microchip: The Story of Jack Kilby

Brian Bell

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The Early Life and Education of Jack Kilby

Jack St. Clair Kilby was born on November 8, 1923, in Great Bend, Kansas. His father was a farmer and his mother was a schoolteacher. Kilby showed an early interest in electronics and built his first radio at the age of 12. He attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he earned a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering in 1947.

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After graduating from college, Kilby worked for Centralab, a company that manufactured electronic components. In 1958, he joined Texas Instruments, where he would make his groundbreaking invention.

The Invention of the Microchip

In 1959, Kilby was working on a way to miniaturize electronic circuits. At the time, electronic circuits were made up of discrete components, such as transistors, resistors, and capacitors. These components were large and bulky, and they were difficult to assemble and connect. Kilby's idea was to create a single, integrated circuit that would contain all of the components of a circuit on a single piece of semiconductor material.

Kilby's first integrated circuit was a simple amplifier. It was made of germanium, and it contained only a few transistors. However, this simple invention was the foundation for all modern microchips. Over the next few years, Kilby and other researchers at Texas Instruments continued to develop and improve the integrated circuit. By the mid-1960s, integrated circuits were being used in a wide variety of electronic devices, including calculators, watches, and computers.

The Impact of the Microchip

The invention of the microchip has had a profound impact on the world. Microchips have made it possible to create smaller, more powerful, and more affordable electronic devices. They have also led to the development of new technologies, such as personal computers, the Internet, and smartphones. Today, microchips are essential to our everyday lives. They are found in everything from our cars to our medical devices.

The Later Life and Legacy of Jack Kilby

Kilby received numerous awards for his invention, including the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2000. He retired from Texas Instruments in 1983, but he continued to work as a consultant and lecturer. Kilby died on June 20, 2005, at the age of 81.

Jack Kilby's invention of the microchip is one of the most important technological breakthroughs of the 20th century. His work has had a profound impact on the world, and his legacy will continue to inspire future generations of innovators.