How Jack Kilby Invented the First Integrated Circuit
Texas Instruments' 1959 patent for the first integrated circuit, which combined transistors and resistors on a single piece of semiconductor material.
Original patent title: “Miniaturized electronic circuits”
Texas Instruments' 1959 patent for the first integrated circuit, which combined transistors and resistors on a single piece of semiconductor material. Granted to Texas Instruments Inc in 1964 with 2 claims and 27 forward citations, and it is now in the public domain.
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent describes the fundamental structure of an integrated circuit, or a microchip. It explains how to build multiple electronic components, specifically transistors and resistors, directly into a single wafer of semiconductor material like germanium or silicon. By layering regions of different electrical conductivity types—creating PN junctions—and connecting them with conductive paths on the surface, the design allows an entire circuit to exist on one small piece of material rather than using bulky, separate components wired together. This architecture is the ancestor of every modern processor.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover the use of non-semiconductor materials for building circuit components.
- Does not cover vacuum tube-based circuit designs.
- Does not cover specific manufacturing lithography techniques used to etch these patterns.
- Does not cover multi-chip modules where separate dies are packaged together.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
Key facts
What made this novel
Kilby realized that if you could make a transistor on a semiconductor, you could also make a resistor or capacitor out of the same material, eliminating the need for external wiring between them.
The Patent Drawing
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
The original Texas Instruments Solid Circuit
Early pocket calculators
Modern microprocessors
Memory chips
Why it matters
The bigger picture
This is the 'Big Bang' of the modern computing era. Before this, engineers had to solder individual components together by hand, which was unreliable and limited how small a computer could be. This patent proved that complex electronics could be miniaturized, enabling the development of everything from pocket calculators to the smartphone in your hand.
Filed
February 6, 1959
Granted
June 23, 1964
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Every major semiconductor company, including Intel, TSMC, Samsung, and NVIDIA, builds directly upon the foundational principles of integrating multiple components onto a single semiconductor die established by this patent.
Market impact
This patent triggered the transition from discrete component electronics to the integrated circuit industry. It effectively launched the multi-trillion dollar semiconductor market and enabled the exponential growth in computing power described by Moore's Law.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent describes the fundamental structure of an integrated circuit, or a microchip. It explains how to build multiple electronic components, specifically transistors and resistors, directly into a single wafer of semiconductor material like germanium or silicon. By layering regions of different electrical conductivity types—creating PN junctions—and connecting them with conductive paths on the surface, the design allows an entire circuit to exist on one small piece of material rather than using bulky, separate components wired together. This architecture is the ancestor of every modern processor.
The clever bit
Kilby realized that if you could make a transistor on a semiconductor, you could also make a resistor or capacitor out of the same material, eliminating the need for external wiring between them.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover the use of non-semiconductor materials for building circuit components.
- Does not cover vacuum tube-based circuit designs.
- Does not cover specific manufacturing lithography techniques used to etch these patterns.
- Does not cover multi-chip modules where separate dies are packaged together.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
Patent enters public domain
This patent is in the public domain
See the Freedom to Build guide — what is free to use, what is not, and how to cite this patent.
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Early stage
Citation count
29/40
Moderately cited
Claim breadth
1/20
Narrow claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
0/20
Older than 20 years
Assignee scale
0/20
Independent or smaller assigneeassigneeThe entity that owns the patent — usually the inventor's employer or a company.Read more →
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$15K – $48K
Midpoint $30K · expired or expiring · industry ×1.4
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
Patent Claims
1 independent claim · 0 dependent
Claims are the legal boundaries of the patent. An independent claim stands alone. A dependent claim adds limitations to its parent, narrowing — but not broadening — the scope.
The original legal language
Original claims
2 claims as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Kilby, J. S. (1964). How Jack Kilby Invented the First Integrated Circuit (U.S. Patent No. 3,138,743). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/3138743/kilby-monolithic-integrated-circuit
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
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Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does How Jack Kilby Invented the First Integrated Circuit cover?
Texas Instruments' 1959 patent for the first integrated circuit, which combined transistors and resistors on a single piece of semiconductor material.
Who owns patent US 3138743?
Texas Instruments Inc owns this patent, granted in 1964.
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 3138743 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 27 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
This is the 'Big Bang' of the modern computing era. Before this, engineers had to solder individual components together by hand, which was unreliable and limited how small a computer could be. This patent proved that complex electronics could be miniaturized, enabling the development of everything from pocket calculators to the smartphone in your hand.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover the use of non-semiconductor materials for building circuit components.
Same assignee
More from Texas Instruments Inc
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