In the 1940s, computers took up entire buildings, but now the computers in cell phones are much more powerful, efficient, and smaller than the machines of the 1940s. This evolution of the computer and other electronic devices can be attributed to the invention of the integrated circuit. These are also commonly called “microchips” and have been refined since they were invented to become smaller and more powerful. Integrated circuits are one of the greatest inventions of the last century due to their profound influence on technology through the miniaturization and optimization of electronics. To understand the enormous influence that integrated circuits have in technology, it is necessary to understand what kind of technology society had before. Many computers in the 1950s used something called vacuum tubes. These tubes were used to control electrical signals but were large (about the size of a cell phone), sometimes unreliable, and consumed a fair amount of power. Then came transistors (the size of a coin), which greatly reduced the size of electronic components because they could fit onto the printed circuit boards that made computers more readily available, but these circuit boards still had to be assembled by hand. The creation of integrated circuits was a vast improvement over other printed circuit boards, and these small chips led to giant leaps in technology. One of the most important reasons why integrated circuits are so vital to technology is the process by which they are made. Integrated circuits are usually printed on pure silicon wafers. These wafers are made by “growing” silicon dioxide on a wafer. The chips are then layered and doped. Doping is used to change the conductivity of silicon by implanting ions. These chips are made up of many of the…half of the card…accessible more easily than ever before. Indeed, there are countless ways in which integrated circuits have in some way helped improve life in our world. Everyone living on Earth today, whether they realize it or not, has been affected by these chips. Who would have imagined that something so small could have such a big impact on technology and our lives. Works cited "Computer". Wikipedia. October 6, 2007. October 7, 2007 "How Potato Chips Are Made." Intel. 7 October 2007 "Integrated Circuit". Wikipedia. October 7, 2007. October 7, 2007 "Transistors." Wikipedia. October 7, 2007. October 7, 2007 "Vacuum Tube." Wikipedia. October 5, 2007. October 7. 2007 .