Non-fiction: Miniaturized Electronic Circuit (US Patent 3,138,743)

Overview
Jack S. Kilby's US Patent 3,138,743, titled "Miniaturized Electronic Circuit" and issued in 1964, documents a fundamental change in how electronic components are arranged and interconnected. The patent sets out the concept of fabricating multiple circuit elements within a single piece of semiconductor material so that active and passive components and their interconnections form an integral, compact assembly. This departure from assemblies of discrete parts mounted on a substrate and wired together established the legal and technical basis for what became known as the integrated circuit.

Core invention
The central idea is to create a plurality of electrical components directly in and on a single semiconductor body, with conductors providing the necessary interconnections. Kilby's drawings and descriptions show transistors, resistors, and capacitors incorporated into the semiconductor block and linked by patterned conductors, eliminating much of the external wiring typical of the era. The patent emphasizes that components are not separate elements simply affixed to a substrate, but are formed as parts of the common material, thereby achieving true miniaturization and improved reliability.

Key claims
Kilby's claims cover the arrangement of multiple circuit elements within a monolithic semiconductor structure and the use of conductive means to interconnect them. The legal language asserts novelty in producing a complete electrical circuit that occupies a single body of semiconductor material, with features such as localized impurity regions, diffused or alloyed contacts, and patterned conductors to define circuit paths. These claims were broad and aimed at protecting the core concept of consolidating discrete circuit functions into one material substrate rather than protecting only a particular fabrication step or component geometry.

Prototype and fabrication
Kilby's earliest experimental realization used a germanium block with components formed or attached and interconnections made by fine wires and plated conductors, demonstrating the feasibility of the integrated approach. While subsequent industry developments introduced alternative materials and planar processing methods, Kilby's patent documents the essential architecture: multiple elements sharing a common semiconductor medium with carefully arranged conductive paths. The patent describes methods for creating resistive and capacitive regions and for making electrical contacts, reflecting practical concerns about fabrication, interconnection, and packaging in a compact assembly.

Significance and legacy
The patent is considered seminal because it captured and legally protected the leap from discrete component assemblies to monolithic integration, enabling rapid advances in miniaturization, performance, and mass production. Kilby's invention accelerated the transition to high-density electronic systems by reducing size, improving reliability, and lowering manufacturing cost per function. The principles laid out in the document directly influenced the development of modern microelectronics and semiconductor manufacturing. Recognition of Kilby's contribution culminated in wide professional acclaim and honors, and the patent remains a cornerstone reference for the origins of the integrated circuit and the transformation of electronics that followed.