James L. Buie, 68; Scientist, Inventor

James L. Buie, whose many patents included one for electronic logic devices that led to the start of the integrated circuit industry, has died. He was 68 when he died Friday in Panorama City of the complications of emphysema.

TRW, for whom Buie worked when he developed the transistor-to-transistor logic, said in announcing Buie’s death that the scientist’s invention simplified and improved the performance of circuitry and is still the most widely used form of circuit logic in the electronics industry.

His technology significantly improved circuit performance, a spokesman for TRW said. The company licensed it for use by other companies in a broad range of signal processing, communications and data processing devices.

Buie, who was born in Hollywood and served as a naval aviator in World War II, joined the Ramo-Woolridge Corp., a predecessor of TRW, in 1954. He helped establish TRW’s Microelectronics Center, which pioneered the development of microelectronics for space and defense purposes.

Buie, who retired in 1983, was a graduate of USC. He was elected a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers in 1973.

He is survived by his wife, Ione; a son; daughter; sister; four grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.