Jack Kilby invented the integrated circuit (IC) at Texas Instruments in 1958. An IC incorporates multiple electronic components, like transistors, diodes and resistors, onto a single semiconductor chip to form a complete circuit. This was a solution to the size limitations of building complex circuits out of individual vacuum tubes. In 1959, Robert Noyce improved upon Kilby's design by using silicon instead of germanium as the semiconductor material. ICs allowed electronics to rapidly shrink in size and grow more powerful due to being able to integrate thousands of components onto a single small chip. ICs replaced vacuum tubes and transformed electronics, enabling the digital revolution.