|
Timeline of Microelectronics Technology Evolution |
|
Another name for a chip, an IC is a small electronic device made out of a semiconductor material. The first integrated
circuit was developed in the 1950s by Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments and Robert Noyce of Fairchild Semiconductor. Integrated circuits are used for a variety of devices, including microprocessors, audio and video equipment, and automobiles. Integrated circuits are often classified by the number of transistors and other electronic components they contain: |
| First Transistor (1948) Bell Labs |
|
1947 The point-contact bipolar transistor is invented by Bell Lab's Bardeen, Shockley, and Brattain. 1951 Junction field-effect transistor (JFET) is invented. 1952 Single-crystal silicon is fabricated. 1954 Oxide masking process is developed. |
| SSI (1960's) Small Scale Integration |
|
Up to 20 gates per chip 1960 Metal-Oxide-Silicon (MOS) transistor is invented. 1962 Transistor-transistor Logic (TTL ) is developed. 1963 Complementary Metal Oxide Silicon (CMOS ) is invented. |
| MSI (Late 1960's) Medium Scale Integration |
|
20-200 gates per chip 1968 MOS memory circuits are introduced. |
| LSI (1970's) Large Scale Integration |
|
200-5000 gates per chip 1970 8-bit MOS calculator chips are introduced, 7 micrometer chip geometries 1971 16-bit Microprocessors are introduced. |
| VLSI (1980's) Very Large Scale Integration |
|
Over 5000 gates per chip 1981 Very High Speed Integration (VHSIC), ten's of thousands of gates per chip, 1.5 micrometer chip geometries. 1984 0.5 micrometer chip geometries. |
| ULSI (1990's) Ultra Large Scale Integration |
|
Over millions transistors per chip 1997 0.25 micrometer chip geometries. |
Main Menu
BUG Computer Club Home Page
Last Update: 6:56 PM 10/16/01