Integrated circuit

A microchip, also known as an integrated circuit (IC) or chip, is a set of electronic circuits on one small flat piece (or "chip") of semiconductor material, normally silicon. The integration of large numbers of tiny transistors into a small chip resulted in circuits that are orders of magnitude smaller, faster, and less expensive than those constructed from discrete electronic components. The microchip has had a major impact on the modern world, as it is the foundation of all digital electronics. In Hebrew, a microchip is called מיקרו-שבב (mikro-shaviv). In other languages, it is referred to as microcircuito in Spanish, puce in French, and Mikrochip in German. The invention of the microchip in 1958 by Jack Kilby at Texas Instruments marked the beginning of the microelectronics industry and revolutionized the fields of computing, telecommunications, and automation.