World’s first microchip

The world’s first microchip - now used to power everything from smartphones to spaceships - is set to sell for $600,000 ahead of the 60th anniversary of its invention.

Electrical engineer Jack Kilby built the cutting edge integrated circuit in 1958 along with Tom Yeargan, who was lead technician for the project.

The semiconductor - no bigger than a fingernail - comprises a tangle of copper and gold wires connected to geranium, mounted on glass and stored in plastic casing.