Integrated Circuit

An integrated circuit, also called a microchip or chip, is a compact assembly of electronic circuits such as transistors, resistors and capacitors fabricated together on a single piece of semiconductor material, typically silicon. Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments demonstrated the first working integrated circuit on September 12, 1958, and Robert Noyce of Fairchild Semiconductor developed the first practical monolithic chip design about six months later, the version that became the basis for modern chip manufacturing. By packing many components onto one piece of silicon, the integrated circuit made electronic devices smaller, cheaper and more capable, and it now sits at the core of computers, smartphones, televisions and nearly every other electronic device.