James L. Buie

Buie's patents in integrated circuit microelectronics were "dielectrically isolated integrated circuits, single integrated circuit parallel multipliers, single integrated circuit analog signal to digital converters, and triple diffused bipolar integrated circuit devices" Others were "Bipolar transistor construction method" (# 3981072 of 12/6/1974) and "Read-only integrated circuit memory chip" (#4546456 of 6/8/1983).

James L. Buie (1920 – September 25, 1988) was an American scientist and inventor who worked for TRW Inc. He refined and developed electronic circuitry leading to the integrated circuit level. The integrated circuit industry came into existence as a result. The first commercial integrated circuit products using Buie's transistor to transistor logic technology were made by Sylvania in 1963 and known as the Sylvania Universal High-Level Logic family. His TTL semiconductor technology has been used in mini-computers, mainframe computers, electronic peripherals, electrical factory control devices, automated electronic test equipment, electronic measuring instruments, and other microprocessor-based systems. Buie's technology pioneered the development of microelectronics for man-made satellites used in space. This technology was his invention, and the technology persists in electronics to this day.

Buie developed emphysema caused by smoking in the 1970s and quit at the time of his retirement. His lungs continued to deteriorate at an accelerated rate that was faster that natural. He was on oxygen assistance from 1985 and continued to consult part-time for TRW. In March of 1988 he no longer could physically make the trip to his offices there and then just did some work on his personal computer at home communicating with TRW by phone. Buie continued to fail in health and died in Panorama City on September 25, 1988, aged 68. He is buried at Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery.

Buie was elected a Fellow of the IEEE in 1973. He officially retired from TRW in 1978 as a full-time worker. He then began part-time work as a consultant for the Large Scale Integration division of the company (TRW/LSI Products). Buie then invented other related integrated circuits and patented those "chips", as they were called then. Buie's integrated circuit chip technology was used in various electronics of space satellites and computers into the 1990s. His TTL integrated circuit technology is a fundamental foundation of the electronics industry.

Texas Instruments introduced integrated circuits for military applications in 1964. Buie's technology pioneered the development of microelectronics for man-made satellites used in space for the aerospace industry. His integrated circuit technology was used extensively in the 1970s in computers, communications, and military equipment. Beginning in the 1970s, his TTL circuitry was the dominant architecture for integrated circuit technology. He headed TRW's large scale integration LSI Products Division in 1977.

TRW licensed the new technology to other companies to use in data processing and communications electronics. Buie was a senior scientist and one of the organizers for TRW's Microelectronics Center that formed in 1963. The first commercial integrated circuit products using the TTL technology were made by Sylvania in 1963 and known as the Sylvania Universal High-Level Logic family. The TTL electronics Buie invented became the electronics industry standard from the mid-1960s.

Buie invented transistor-to-transistor logic circuitry ("TTL") in 1961 at TRW leading to the development of the integrated circuit industry. TTL integrated circuits use transistors for the input gating structure instead of diodes, resistors, and capacitors as was used in the previous technology. His TTL semiconductor technology initially was used in mainframe computers. Buie's integrated circuit chips in the 1970s were the preferred technology for mini-computers, computer peripherals, factory controls, and test instrumentation. The microelectronic processor-based systems he invented went into the 1980s as an industrial standard. His integrated circuit technology was originally known as transistor-coupled transistor logic – TCTL.

Buie was an electrical engineering graduate of University of Southern California receiving a BSEE in 1950. Buie's first job was at Pacific Semiconductors (PSI) in Culver City, California in 1951. He worked on transistor circuitry as related to diodes and resistors. He was next employed by Ramo-Woolridge Corporation in 1954. Ramo-Woolridge joined with Thompson Automotive Group in 1958, and eventually in 1965 Thompson-Ramo-Woolridge became known as TRW Inc.

James L. Buie was born in 1920 in Hollywood, California. He went to the local public schools and graduated from Hollywood High School. He then attended the Los Angeles City College and received an associate's degree. Buie served in World War II as an naval aviator and became a lieutenant commander. He was awarded the United States Distinguished Flying Cross for action during May 26–31, 1944.