Birthday Bash Marks 50 Years of Integrated Circuit Evolution

by Chris Preimesberger

Dr. Jay Last, during his presentation about his contribution to the introduction of silicon to the integrated circuit, used a slide that shows its size in relation to a dime. The picture was used on the cover of Life Magazine in 1959. (eWEEK Photo by Chris Preimesberger)

First Silicon Transistor: In 1954, Texas Instruments was the first company to start commercial production of silicon transistors instead of using germanium. Silicon raised the power output while lowering operating temperatures, enabling the miniaturization of electronics. The first commercial transistor radio was also produced in 1954—powered by TI silicon transistors. Fairchild Semiconductor, in 1959, put its first integrated circuit into silicon. (Photo courtesy of Texas Instruments)

First Integrated Circuit: Jack Kilby invented the integrated circuit at Texas Instruments in 1958. Comprised of only a transistor and other components on a slice of germanium, Kilby’s invention, 7/16-by-1/16-inches in size, revolutionized the electronics industry. The roots of almost every electronic device we take for granted today can be traced back to Dallas more than 40 years ago. (Photo courtesey of Texas Instruments)

First Electronic Handheld Calculator: The electronic handheld calculator was invented at Texas Instruments in 1967 by Jack Kilby, Jerry Merryman and James Van Tassel. Measuring 4.25 x 6.125 x 1.75 inches, it was the first mini-calculator to have the high degree of computational power found only at the time in considerably larger machines. (Photo courtesey of Texas Instruments)

View Inside the First Electronic Handheld Calculator: The working heart of the first miniature calculator, invented at Texas Instruments in 1967, was an integrated semiconductor circuit array that contained all the necessary electronics for performing addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. (Photo courtesey of Texas Instruments)

Dr. Gordon Moore, 80, answers questions from a group of journalists before the 50th anniversary event. (eWEEK Photo by Chris Preimesberger)

Event participants were delighted to view personal notebooks of integrated circuit pioneers Jean Hoerni and Robert Noyce in the upstairs lobby at the Computer History Museum. Other artifacts, including notebooks from Texas Instruments’ engineer Jack Kilby and examples of early integrated circuits and calculators were also on display. (Photo courtesy of the Computer History Museum)

Intel Vice President Steve Smith shows the latest descendant of the 1959 silicon chip: the Westmere 32nm model, which was demo’d in February 2009 and is the company’s newest, smallest and most powerful microprocessor yet. (Photo courtesy of Intel)

The first demonstration of the Westmere desktop motherboard, February 2009. (Photo courtesy of Intel)