# How Robert Noyce Invented the Modern Integrated Circuit

> Robert Noyce's 1959 patent for a semiconductor device that uses evaporated metal leads to connect components directly on a single silicon chip.

- **Patent:** US 2981877
- **Original title:** Semiconductor device-and-lead structure
- **Owner:** Fairchild Semiconductor Corp
- **Granted:** 1961
- **Status:** Public domain (expired)
- **Times cited:** 165
- **Field:** semiconductors, consumer_electronics

## What it does

This patent describes the planar process, a method for creating integrated circuits by layering materials on a silicon wafer. Instead of using fragile wires to connect individual transistors, the invention uses a thin, evaporated metal film deposited directly onto the silicon surface. This creates a reliable, permanent electrical connection between components on the same chip. It effectively allowed engineers to mass-produce complex electronic circuits as a single, solid piece of material.

## What it does NOT cover

- Does not cover the invention of the transistor itself.
- Does not cover non-planar methods of manufacturing semiconductors.
- Does not cover the specific chemical doping recipes used to create the P-N junctions.
- Does not cover discrete components that are not integrated onto a single substrate.

## The clever bit

Noyce realized that by using a protective insulating layer of silicon oxide, he could 'print' the wiring directly onto the chip, solving the problem of how to connect tiny components without manual soldering.

## Real-world examples

1. Modern microprocessors like Intel Core series
2. Smartphone application processors
3. Memory chips in solid state drives

## Why it matters

This is the foundational patent for the modern computer age. By enabling the mass production of integrated circuits, it moved electronics from bulky, hand-wired assemblies to the compact, powerful chips that drive every smartphone, computer, and car today. It was the key innovation that allowed Fairchild Semiconductor to dominate the early silicon industry.

## Frequently asked questions

### What does How Robert Noyce Invented the Modern Integrated Circuit cover?

Robert Noyce's 1959 patent for a semiconductor device that uses evaporated metal leads to connect components directly on a single silicon chip.

### Who owns patent US 2981877?

Fairchild Semiconductor Corp owns this patent, granted in 1961.

### When does this patent expire?

This patent has expired and is now in the public domain — anyone can use the invention freely.

### What is patent US 2981877 cited by?

This patent has been cited by 165 later patents that build on its ideas.

### What problem does this patent solve?

This is the foundational patent for the modern computer age. By enabling the mass production of integrated circuits, it moved electronics from bulky, hand-wired assemblies to the compact, powerful chips that drive every smartphone, computer, and car today. It was the key innovation that allowed Fairchild Semiconductor to dominate the early silicon industry.

### What does this patent NOT cover?

Does not cover the invention of the transistor itself.

**Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/2981877/noyce-planar-integrated-circuit

**Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US2981877

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_Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._


## Related patents

Semantically similar inventions in the PatentBrief corpus:

- [How Jack Kilby Invented the First Integrated Circuit](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/3138743/kilby-monolithic-integrated-circuit) — Texas Instruments' 1959 patent for the first integrated circuit, which combined transistors and resistors on a single piece of semiconductor material.
- [The Invention of the Modern Field-Effect Transistor](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/3102230/mosfet-field-effect-transistor) — This 1960 patent describes the fundamental structure of the MOSFET, the tiny electronic switch that powers every modern computer processor.
- [The Invention of the Junction Transistor](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/2569347/junction-transistor) — William Shockley's 1951 patent for the junction transistor, the fundamental building block of all modern digital electronics.
- [How Amorphous Silicon Changed Solar Power](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/4064521/semiconductor-device-having-a-body-of-amorphous-silicon) — This 1976 patent describes using a specific form of non-crystalline silicon to create cheap, thin semiconductor devices like solar cells.
- [How Flash Memory Cells Use an Erase Gate to Clear Data](https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/4531203/nand-flash-memory) — This 1985 patent describes the foundational structure of flash memory, introducing an 'erase gate' that allows data to be electrically wiped from a memory cell.