Integrated Circuit Invented
The integrated circuit was independently invented by Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce, enabling the microelectronics era.
In 1958, Jack Kilby at Texas Instruments demonstrated the first integrated circuit (IC) — multiple electronic components fabricated on a single piece of semiconductor material. Robert Noyce at Fairchild Semiconductor independently developed a similar concept using a planar process that proved more practical for manufacturing. The IC made it possible to pack thousands, then millions, then billions of transistors onto a single chip, enabling the exponential growth in computing power described by Moore's Law. Kilby received the 2000 Nobel Prize in Physics for his contribution.
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