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Definition: integrated circuit
The formal name of the chip. An integrated circuit (IC) combines thousands, millions or billions of transistors on a single substrate. A certain number of resistors and capacitors may also reside on the chip but in fewer quantities than the transistors. Prior to integrated circuits, these electronic components were discrete devices soldered to each other on a printed circuit board.
How a Circuit Works
To learn how a digital circuit works, go to half adder and travel through a circuit found in every CPU no matter its size.
It Began in 1958
In 1958, Texas Instruments inventor Jack Kilby demonstrated the concept. Although integrated circuits did not become commercialized until Robert Noyce of Fairchild Semiconductor developed his silicon-based device a couple months later, Kilby's circuit proved that multiple electronic devices could be constructed as a single unit. See chip, microcontroller and transistor.
The First Integrated Circuit
Seven Years Later - Three Transistors
A Half Century Later - 35 Billion Transistors
Even More Transistors
How a Circuit Works
To learn how a digital circuit works, go to half adder and travel through a circuit found in every CPU no matter its size.
It Began in 1958
In 1958, Texas Instruments inventor Jack Kilby demonstrated the concept. Although integrated circuits did not become commercialized until Robert Noyce of Fairchild Semiconductor developed his silicon-based device a couple months later, Kilby's circuit proved that multiple electronic devices could be constructed as a single unit. See chip, microcontroller and transistor.
Demonstrated by TI in September 1958, this half-inch wide, archaic-looking collection of transistor, capacitor and two resistors mounted on a bar of germanium was the first IC. See mesa transistor. (Image courtesy of Texas Instruments, Inc.)
This amplifier circuit from Siemens was mass produced in 1965. Containing three transistors and five resistors on a 1.5 square millimeter chip, it was a world of sophistication compared to Kilby's invention. See planar transistor. (Image courtesy of Siemens AG.)
Xilinx's Versal chip includes multiple CPUs, RAM and an FPGA section comprising configurable circuits (see FPGA and Versal).
Apple's ARM-based chips contain even more transistors. The M1 Max (middle) has 57 billion. See Apple M series. (Image courtesy of Apple Inc.)