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They found wide use in space technology, computers, transistors, radios, hearing aids, medical instruments, walkie-talkies, television sets, in fact, wherever precise control and modulation of electrical signals were required.

But even in its solid, smaller form, the transistor re­mained a single component which still had to be com­bined with other components such as resistors and ca­pacitors to make up a complete electronic circuit. Each component stffl had to be hand-wired or separately mounted in place.

It was during the early 1950's that the need for ever smaller electronic component became really pressing. Large computers, called upon to perform hundreds of millions of calculations a second, rapidly developing space technology as well as global microwave transmission sys­tems required miniaturization [_/mmjatjuan'zeijn] and the increased speed of response. In short, a smaller and eas­ily reproducible form of circuit was required.

A practical and original answer to the problem was the integrated circuit (1C) developed in 1958 by Jack S. Kilby, an American electrical engineer. The 1C is called so because all of its circuit elements are bonded together rather than separately wired to each other after being manufactured. Invented about 30 years ago, the 1C has already become one of the marvels (чудо) of the elec­tronic industry, and it is being used widely in dozens ot industries and consumer products. Yet, the range of uses of this electronic device is considered to be almost limit­less and is expected to influence nearly every human ac­tivity.

An 1C looks like a tiny silver grey (серебристо-се­рый) square or chip of metal, perhaps one-half of a centimeter on a side, and not much thicker than a sheet (лист) of paper. Yet, this useless looking chip represents the most highly skilled technology at every step of its manufacture. At today's level of development, it might consist of 10,000 separate electronic elements. It replaces many separate circuits, each of which, until recently formed a network of interlaced (переплетающийся) wires, resistors and capacitors, shielded coils and vacuum tubes, all hand-soldered into place.

Experts now predict that the 1C has brought m an era of change so fundamental and widespread that it al­ready has the characteristics of a second industrial revo­lution.