The Texas Instruments SN51 Series - The First ICs

The Texas Instruments SN51 Series

The First Integrated Circuits

ChipScapesTM Historical Series

Production:

Limited edition size of 50 (production will be limited by availability of chips)

Full Artwork
(Click picture for larger image)

Mixed Media:

11"x14" digital photograph. Archival photo papers and inks are used. Chips and other specimens are mounted with threads and/or acid free adhesives.

Framing:

The artwork is framed in an 11"x14" black wood shadow box frame, with glass, using suspension framing techniques. All framing materials are acid free. A narrative about the artwork that includes the artist’s signature is placed on the back of the artwork.

About this Artwork:

You are bidding on a mixed media artwork celebrating Texas Instrument's SN51 series. Introduced in the early 1960s, the Integrated Circuit changed the world. The vacuum tube and the transistor enabled huge leaps in the advancement of technology and science. However, neither have matched the firestorm of advances kindled by the Integrated Circuit. The density and power of Integrated Circuit has almost doubled every two years since its invention by Jack Kilby (of Texas Instruments) and Robert Noyce (of Fairchild Semiconductor, and later Intel). The SN51 Integrated Circuits were the first commercially available chips.

The SN514B included in this artwork is the original style of flatpack. The Intel SN514B is mounted in its original chip carrier and is surrounded by an enlarged diagram of the chip with the electrical signal designations for each of its leads. The artwork includes a narrative on the SN51 series in the display. Also a general narrative is on the back, which provides some historical context, information about the artwork, and the artist's signature.

General Information:

These artworks are the creation of ChipScapesTM artist Steve Emery. ChipScapesTM are photographs taken of computer chips, boards, and other computer artifacts. They are sort of chip landscapes, or ChipScapesTM for short. Most often a macro-lens or microscope is used with special lightning to achieve these unique artworks.

This artwork is part of the ChipScapesTM Historical Series dedicated to preserving and sharing chips that changed the world. ChipScapesTM are great collectibles or gifts for the technology savvy.

Close-up Study

Narrative Excerpt:

"...There were only three actual chips that comprised the original SN51 series. The SN510 and SN511 used the same chip and the 515 used a different chip. Of the three, the SN512-3-4 is unique in that it implements all the major components used to make integrated circuits (except for the inductor). The pictures to the right locate one of each type of component..."

Reverse Side

Questions?

For more information about ChipScapesTM, please click on the following links that will take you to my ChipScapes website www.ChipScapes.com: