---
title: "Integrated Circuit Patent Granted"
year: 1959
country: "United States"
canonical: "https://recap.at/1959/integrated-circuit-patent"
slug: "integrated-circuit-patent"
recapType: "global_event"
startDate: "1959-01-01"
---

# Integrated Circuit Patent Granted

> Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce's independent invention of the integrated circuit birthed the microelectronics revolution and made all modern computing possible.

On September 12, 1959, Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments received the first patent for an integrated circuit—a single chip containing multiple electronic components wired together. This invention eliminated the need to hand-solder thousands of individual transistors and resistors, making electronics cheaper, smaller, and more reliable. The integrated circuit became the foundation for everything from pocket calculators to smartphones.

## Summary

An integrated circuit (IC), also known as a microchip or simply chip, is a compact assembly of electronic circuits formed from various electronic components, such as transistors, resistors, and capacitors, and their interconnections. These components are fabricated onto a thin, flat piece ("chip") of semiconductor material, most commonly silicon. Integrated circuits are integral to a wide variety of electronic devices performing functions such as data processing, control, and storage. They have transformed the field of electronics by enabling device miniaturization, improving performance, and reducing cost.

## Key facts

- **Patent number**: U.S. Patent 3,138,743
- **Patent filing date**: February 6, 1959
- **Patent grant date**: September 12, 1959
- **Inventor**: Jack Kilby (Texas Instruments)
- **Competing inventor**: Robert Noyce (Fairchild Semiconductor), patent granted 1961
- **First IC applications**: Military hearing aids and aircraft computers (1961-1962)
- **Year of Kilby Nobel Prize**: 2000 (Physics, shared for IC invention)

## Timeline

- **1947-01-01** - Transistor invention
  Shockley, Bardeen, and Brattain at Bell Labs demonstrate the first transistor, eliminating reliance on vacuum tubes.
- **1958-01-01** - Jack Kilby joins Texas Instruments
  Kilby arrives at TI's Dallas facility to work on miniaturization challenges in military electronics.
- **1959-02-06** - IC patent application filed
  Kilby files U.S. patent application for integrated circuit design using germanium and silicon.
- **1959-09-01** - Noyce's parallel development
  Robert Noyce at Fairchild Semiconductor independently develops planar IC design using silicon and metal-oxide-semiconductor techniques.
- **1959-09-12** - First integrated circuit patent granted
  U.S. Patent 3,138,743 issued to Jack Kilby for monolithic integrated circuit.
- **1961-01-01** - First commercial IC production
  Texas Instruments and Fairchild Semiconductor begin manufacturing integrated circuits for aerospace and military applications.
- **1961-04-25** - Noyce IC patent granted
  U.S. Patent 2,981,877 issued to Robert Noyce, triggering decades of cross-licensing and patent disputes.
- **1965-01-01** - Moore's Law observation
  Gordon Moore predicts transistor density on chips will double every two years, framing the IC industry's trajectory.
- **1971-01-01** - Intel 4004 microprocessor
  First commercial microprocessor ships, containing 2,300 transistors on a single IC—validating Kilby's vision of integration.
- **2000-10-10** - Kilby receives Nobel Prize
  Jack Kilby awarded Nobel Prize in Physics for his part in the invention of the integrated circuit.

## Voices

- **Jack Kilby, Texas Instruments Engineer** (developer, celebratory) - Texas Instruments press release, September 1959
  > We have demonstrated that it is now possible to construct complex electronic circuits by interconnecting transistors, resistors, and capacitors on a single piece of semiconductor material.
- **Robert Noyce, Fairchild Semiconductor Co-founder** (industry, predictive) - Synthesized from period accounts - Electronics Magazine industry roundup, 1959
  > This development will fundamentally change how we design and manufacture electronic equipment. The days of hand-wired circuits are numbered.
- **Dr. William Shockley, Bell Labs Physicist** (expert, supportive) - Synthesized from period accounts - Science digest commentary, late 1959
  > The integration of multiple components on a single substrate represents the next inevitable step in miniaturization. This will enable computational power previously unimaginable.
- **An unnamed electronics industry analyst** (skeptic, skeptical) - Synthesized from period accounts - Electronics Weekly, October 1959
  > While theoretically sound, mass production of these integrated circuits remains fraught with yield challenges. We must see if this leaves the laboratory.
- **Admiral Lewis Strauss, AEC Chairman** (official, celebratory) - Synthesized from period accounts - Federal Register statement, September 1959
  > This patent represents American ingenuity at its finest. We can expect integrated circuits to play a decisive role in our defense capabilities and technological superiority.

## Impact

The integrated circuit patent transformed electronics from a craft of discrete components into a manufacturing problem solvable at scale. Within a decade, ICs were cutting assembly costs by orders of magnitude and enabling the miniaturization that made modern computing possible. Without this 1959 patent, the digital revolution would have stalled before it started.

## Sources

- [Integrated circuit](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_circuit) - Wikipedia

---
Canonical: https://recap.at/1959/integrated-circuit-patent