Mr Kilby example essay topic

Jack Kilby: Inventor of the Microchip Matthew Ford BUSA 2101 A- 8 AM T, R Many people living in this fast-paced, globally-connected world often take for granted the amount of technology that goes into the little "gadgets" they love. They also do not often think about the people that made this technology possible. Throughout history, there have been only a handful of persons that have truly altered the way in which a society operates and lives. Jack Kilby's invention of the monolithic integrated circuit, or better known as the microchip, gave birth to a new technological field of modern microelectronics. His ingenious work at Texas Instruments over forty-five years ago, was a breakthrough that has led to the "sophisticated high-speed computers and large-capacity semiconductor memories of today's information age".

Born on November 8, 1923 in Jefferson City, Missouri, Jack Kilby was a determined intellectual. After receiving a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois, Mr. Kilby decided to get his M.S. in the same field from the University of Wisconsin. He then began his career in Milwaukee in 1947, working in the Central ab Division of Globe Union Inc. "developing ceramic-base, silk-screen circuits for consumer electronic products". 1958 was significant for Jack Kilby due to the fact that he began working in Dallas for Texas Instruments (TI) early that year.

During the summer of that same year, using borrowed materials, Mr. Kilby envisioned and constructed the very first electronic circuit in which "all of the components, both active and passive, were fabricated in a single piece of semiconductor material half the size of a paper clip". On September 12, 1958, history was made in a TI laboratory after he successfully demonstrated the ability of that first microchip. Mr. Kilby showed the TI management a piece of germanium with an oscilloscope attached, turned it on, and the oscilloscope demonstrated a continuous sine wave, "proving that his integrated circuit worked". Jack Kilby proceeded to "pioneer military, industrial, and commercial applications of microchip technology". He was head of the teams that built both the first military system and the first computer featuring integrated circuits.

Mr. Kilby then went on to co-invent the hand-held calculator. However, in 1970, he wanted some time off to develop his own inventions, so he decided to take a leave of absence from TI. He began to investigate the idea that silicon technology could be used to generate electrical power from sunlight. He would later incorporate this function into handheld calculator technology. Mr. Kilby retired from TI in 1983, but he continued to maintain an important involvement with the company throughout the rest of his incredible, life. Mr. Kilby has over 60 U.S. patents.

He is a member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (I ) and of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). In 1970, he received the National Medal of Science, a distinguished honor, during a White House ceremony. Then, in 1982, one of his many crowning achievements took place; Jack Kilby was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Thus, he will forever be remembered as one of America's most important innovators, along with Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and the Wright Brothers.

On September 12, 1988, the 30th anniversary of the invention of the integrated circuit, the Governor of Texas dedicated an official Texas historical marker, near the TI laboratory where Mr. Kilby did his extraordinary work. He was again recognized for his work in the invention of the integrated circuit in 2000; Jack Kilby was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics. From the birth of that first crude circuit, a multi-billion dollar market has grown. Mr. Kilby is one of those few persons whose knowledge, wisdom, inquisitive mind, and passion for inventing have led him to change the face of the modern world forever.

Bibliography

About Jack. Texas Instruments. Retrieved 11 Sept. 2005 web "Jack Kilby".
Wikipedia. com. Retrieved 11 Sept. 2005 web Kilby Phil Ament.
Fascinating facts about Jack Kilby. Troy MI: (c) 1997-2005 The Great Idea Finder, Revised 23 June, 2005.
Online. Available: web Retrieved 11 Sept. 2005.