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TI unveils new R&D facility named in honor of IC inventor
But in his search to solve a problem in September 1958, TI engineer Jack S. Kilby put a transistor and other components on a slice of germanium, creating a 3/16-by-7/16-inch device that revolutionized the electronics industry. In his honor, TI named its new $154 million research and development facility the Kilby Center, which was officially dedicated last month. As one of the most advanced semiconductor research facilities in the world, the center is expected to spark the next generation of technological breakthroughs that will significantly change the way people live, as did the integrated circuit. The scientists and engineers among the center's 500 employees are developing manufacturing processes that will serve as the base for the creation of leading-edge digital processing solutions. Construction of the center, located at TI's Expressway campus in Dallas, began in January 1996, and the doors opened for business this past July. The building covers 584,000 square feet, of which 51,000 is dedicated to cleanroom space. Kilby, who holds more than 60 patents, was a full-time TIer from 1958 to 1970. Now retired, he consults for TI on a contract basis and has an office on the first floor of the center.
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Without the invention of the integrated circuit nearly 40 years ago, there might not be cellular phones, personal computers and other high-tech products for engineers to design and companies to manufacture and sell.