How the Microchip Was Invented

An illustrated inventions story from Wonder Inventions — free to read, with narration.

How the Microchip Was Invented — an illustrated inventions story, set in United States. 10 illustrated pages, free to read on Wonder Inventions.

How the Microchip Was Invented — book cover — Wonder Inventions
How the Microchip Was Invented — an illustrated inventions story, set in United States. 10 illustrated pages, free to read on Wonder Inventions.

Page 1

Tala floated near a giant window on the space station, gazing at the swirling candy-colored nebula outside. "Wow, it's so beautiful," she whispered to her…
Tala floated near a giant window on the space station, gazing at the swirling candy-colored nebula outside. "Wow, it's so beautiful," she whispered to her friend, Daria. "Imagine sending messages all the way across that nebula! How do they even do that?" Daria shrugged. "With microchips, I guess. But who invented those things, anyway?"

Tala floated near a giant window on the space station, gazing at the swirling candy-colored nebula outside. "Wow, it's so beautiful," she whispered to her friend, Daria. "Imagine sending messages all the way across that nebula! How do they even do that?" Daria shrugged. "With microchips, I guess. But who invented those things, anyway?"

Page 2

Tala's eyes widened with curiosity. She zoomed through the space station's corridors to her room, a whirlwind of rainbow streaks.
Tala's eyes widened with curiosity. She zoomed through the space station's corridors to her room, a whirlwind of rainbow streaks. "My Invention Encyclopedia will know!" she exclaimed, grabbing the large, leather-bound book from her shelf. As she opened it, the room shimmered, and a voice echoed, "Time to discover the past, Tala!"

Tala's eyes widened with curiosity. She zoomed through the space station's corridors to her room, a whirlwind of rainbow streaks. "My Invention Encyclopedia will know!" she exclaimed, grabbing the large, leather-bound book from her shelf. As she opened it, the room shimmered, and a voice echoed, "Time to discover the past, Tala!"

Page 3

Suddenly, Tala and Daria found themselves standing in a dusty workshop filled with wires and tubes. "Where are we?" Daria asked, coughing from the dust.
Suddenly, Tala and Daria found themselves standing in a dusty workshop filled with wires and tubes. "Where are we?" Daria asked, coughing from the dust. A man with glasses looked up from his workbench. "1958, ladies. Texas Instruments. Now, what can I do for you?" He grinned, pushing up his glasses, ink staining his fingers.

Suddenly, Tala and Daria found themselves standing in a dusty workshop filled with wires and tubes. "Where are we?" Daria asked, coughing from the dust. A man with glasses looked up from his workbench. "1958, ladies. Texas Instruments. Now, what can I do for you?" He grinned, pushing up his glasses, ink staining his fingers.

Page 4

"We're here to learn about... microchips!" Tala declared, pulling out her notebook. "Did you invent them?" The man chuckled, wiping his hands on his apron.
"We're here to learn about... microchips!" Tala declared, pulling out her notebook. "Did you invent them?" The man chuckled, wiping his hands on his apron. "That's me! Oscar. Though Jack Kilby at Texas Instruments and Robert Noyce at Fairchild Semiconductor were also working on similar ideas independently. It was a revolutionary time."

"We're here to learn about... microchips!" Tala declared, pulling out her notebook. "Did you invent them?" The man chuckled, wiping his hands on his apron. "That's me! Oscar. Though Jack Kilby at Texas Instruments and Robert Noyce at Fairchild Semiconductor were also working on similar ideas independently. It was a revolutionary time."

Page 5

"But why? What was wrong with the old way of doing things?" Daria asked, pointing to a massive vacuum tube on a shelf. Oscar sighed.
"But why? What was wrong with the old way of doing things?" Daria asked, pointing to a massive vacuum tube on a shelf. Oscar sighed. "Those tubes were big, unreliable, and used a lot of power. Imagine trying to build a computer with thousands of them! It would be the size of a house! The microchip was the answer! In 1958, the entire electronics industry was worth less than 2 billion, but they knew something smaller was needed."

"But why? What was wrong with the old way of doing things?" Daria asked, pointing to a massive vacuum tube on a shelf. Oscar sighed. "Those tubes were big, unreliable, and used a lot of power. Imagine trying to build a computer with thousands of them! It would be the size of a house! The microchip was the answer! In 1958, the entire electronics industry was worth less than 2 billion, but they knew something smaller was needed."

Page 6

"So, how did you actually make it?" Tala asked, scribbling in her notebook. Oscar picked up a small, dark rectangle. "It was tricky!
"So, how did you actually make it?" Tala asked, scribbling in her notebook. Oscar picked up a small, dark rectangle. "It was tricky! The first microchip was made of germanium. I made it by connecting all the components onto a single piece of semiconductor material. Imagine, all those transistors, resistors, and capacitors on something so tiny!" He grinned.

"So, how did you actually make it?" Tala asked, scribbling in her notebook. Oscar picked up a small, dark rectangle. "It was tricky! The first microchip was made of germanium. I made it by connecting all the components onto a single piece of semiconductor material. Imagine, all those transistors, resistors, and capacitors on something so tiny!" He grinned.

Page 7

"It wasn't easy," Oscar explained, adjusting his glasses. "There were many failures, many prototypes that didn't work. But I kept going.
"It wasn't easy," Oscar explained, adjusting his glasses. "There were many failures, many prototypes that didn't work. But I kept going. As Thomas Edison said about inventing the lightbulb, 'I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.' That inspired me to keep trying until I succeeded!", he laughed heartily.

"It wasn't easy," Oscar explained, adjusting his glasses. "There were many failures, many prototypes that didn't work. But I kept going. As Thomas Edison said about inventing the lightbulb, 'I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.' That inspired me to keep trying until I succeeded!", he laughed heartily.

Page 8

Suddenly, the workshop shimmered. "Time to go!" the Encyclopedia's voice echoed. As they faded back to the space station, Tala remembered the small microchip…
Suddenly, the workshop shimmered. "Time to go!" the Encyclopedia's voice echoed. As they faded back to the space station, Tala remembered the small microchip Oscar had shown them. Back in her room, Tala realized she needed to power her toy space shuttle, and she had no batteries. "But wait!" she shouted. "I have a solar panel and some spare components, and I saw how Oscar connected everything!" She grabbed her tools, inspired to create.

Suddenly, the workshop shimmered. "Time to go!" the Encyclopedia's voice echoed. As they faded back to the space station, Tala remembered the small microchip Oscar had shown them. Back in her room, Tala realized she needed to power her toy space shuttle, and she had no batteries. "But wait!" she shouted. "I have a solar panel and some spare components, and I saw how Oscar connected everything!" She grabbed her tools, inspired to create.

Page 9

Hours later, Tala connected the solar panel to a tiny circuit she had built, using the microchip knowledge she'd gained. Her toy space shuttle whirred to life!
Hours later, Tala connected the solar panel to a tiny circuit she had built, using the microchip knowledge she'd gained. Her toy space shuttle whirred to life! "I did it!" she cheered, hugging Daria. Now, the global microchip industry is worth well over 500 billion, enabling countless devices.

Hours later, Tala connected the solar panel to a tiny circuit she had built, using the microchip knowledge she'd gained. Her toy space shuttle whirred to life! "I did it!" she cheered, hugging Daria. Now, the global microchip industry is worth well over 500 billion, enabling countless devices.

Page 10

Tala and Daria watched the toy shuttle zoom around the room. "Thanks to that tiny microchip, we can talk to anyone, anywhere, anytime!" Tala exclaimed.
Tala and Daria watched the toy shuttle zoom around the room. "Thanks to that tiny microchip, we can talk to anyone, anywhere, anytime!" Tala exclaimed. "It all started with people connecting... connecting changed everything," Daria added. Tala smiled, already flipping through the Encyclopedia. "Next stop: The Internet!"

Tala and Daria watched the toy shuttle zoom around the room. "Thanks to that tiny microchip, we can talk to anyone, anywhere, anytime!" Tala exclaimed. "It all started with people connecting... connecting changed everything," Daria added. Tala smiled, already flipping through the Encyclopedia. "Next stop: The Internet!"

About this story

  • Location: United States
  • Audience: kids (ages 6–12)

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