DALLAS (September 12, 2008) - Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NYSE:TXN) announced its new "Kilby Labs" today, a center of innovation designed to foster creative ideas for breakthrough semiconductor technology. Launched on September 12, the 50th anniversary of the integrated circuit, the new labs will build on IC inventor Jack Kilby's legacy of revolutionizing our lives through chip innovation.
Kilby Labs will be located on TI's Dallas North Campus and is inspired by the original TI lab, where Kilby first designed the chip that opened the door to 3G cell phones, portable ultrasound machines and automotive antilock braking systems. The new facility, though, will bring together university researchers and leading TI engineers to discover life-changing opportunities for semiconductor technology. From creating new ways to make health care more mobile to harnessing new power sources to enabling more fuel-efficient vehicles, researchers at the Kilby Labs will focus on developing chip advances that make a difference.
"All of us at TI believe that technologies that significantly impact our lives are the right technologies for our business," said Rich Templeton, Chairman and CEO of TI, at the launch celebration held at the Semiconductor Building on TI's North Campus. "The power to help make the world healthier, safer, greener and more fun is what gets us excited about chip innovation, and why we come to work every day at TI. It's what motivated Jack Kilby to build the first IC and why he was able to transform the world through his ideas and inventions."
"Our vision for Kilby Labs," said Gregg Lowe, TI senior vice president and the project's executive sponsor, "is that it will combine TI's experience in developing new chip technologies and our understanding of customer needs with the dreams of a new generation of innovators. Technology springs from imagination, and we want to create an environment where people can both imagine a better world and help build it. The best way we can celebrate Jack's contributions is by providing people with the opportunity to carry on his work and find new ways for a tiny chip to dramatically improve millions of lives around the world."
TI has named Ajith Amerasekera as director of its new Kilby Labs. Ajith, who is a TI Fellow, joined the company in 1991 and holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering and Physics. He previously served as CTO for TI's application-specific integrated circuit division, and as the holder of 28 issued patents and author of four books on semiconductors, Ajith is well recognized in the international technical community.
In addition to the new Kilby Labs, TI is honoring Jack Kilby's life and legacy with a variety of events showcasing his unique vision within the world of engineering and his creative expression through photography:
- Meadows Museum at Southern Methodist University, Dallas: Jack Kilby: The Eye of Genius - Photographs by the Inventor of the Microchip will run through September 21. The exhibit displays several artifacts, such as a collection of Kilby's photography, his original notebook of sketches and ideas for the integrated circuit, his Nobel Prize in Physics, the world's first microchip and the first handheld calculator.
- The Museum of Nature and Science, Dallas: A microchip mini-exhibit will run through October 19. The display features items from the TI archives in contrast to their modern form, along with video footage.
- Texas Instruments Headquarters: The original lab where Kilby worked and made his significant discovery of the first integrated circuit has been recreated onsite. The recreated lab will inspire future inventors and serve as a visual reminder of the power of science and technology combined with creativity.
- Great Bend, Kansas: TI has made a donation toward Jack Kilby's memorial statue in his hometown of Great Bend, Kansas. To learn more about the 50th anniversary of Jack Kilby's invention of the integrated circuit, please visit www.ti.com/tichip.
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