Two men had the idea for an integrated circuit almost simultaneously.
In 1961, the first patent for an integrated circuit was awarded to US engineer Robert Noyce. This happened while an application by Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments was still being scrutinised. Both men are now acknowledged as having independently thought of the concept.
An integrated circuit (IC) – also called a monolithic integrated circuit – is a set of circuits that connects electronic components. The circuits are contained within a microchip – a small flat piece of semiconductor material, usually silicon.
Integrated circuits are the fundamental building block of all modern electronic devices, including computers.