News & Comment

Micro-light-emitting-diode display applications are growing quickly as technology companies begin to use them in a range of products. Key to the development of these applications was the miniaturization of gallium nitride light-emitting diodes. Hongxing Jiang and Jingyu Lin recount how this was achieved.

Semiconducting two-dimensional materials might one day be used in scaled semiconductor technology. Andras Kis recounts how the first transistor based on a single layer of molybdenum disulfide was created.

Neuromorphic engineering aims to create computing hardware that mimics biological nervous systems, and it is expected to play a key role in the next era of hardware development. Carver Mead recounts how it all began.

Computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW) seeks to understand and refine the impact of technology on how groups work together. Irene Greif recounts how the field began in 1984 at a meeting stimulated by trends in distributed systems, networks and office automation.

Intel’s Pentium microprocessors have been a feature of computers for over 25 years. Robert P. Colwell, lead designer of the microarchitecture used in the Pentium Pro and beyond, recounts how it all began.

Edge computing processes data on infrastructure that is located close to the point of data creation. Mahadev Satyanarayanan recounts how recognition of the potential limitations of centralized, cloud-based processing led to this new approach to computing.

Bluetooth allows electronic devices to communicate over short distances and is used by billions of devices worldwide. Jaap Haartsen recalls the developments that led to the establishment of the Bluetooth wireless technology standard.

Spintronic devices, which exploit the spin of electrons for information processing and storage, are a key emerging technology in electronics. Supriyo Datta explains how emulating optical phenomena inspired his prediction of the spin transistor.

The spanning tree protocol is a key component of today’s Ethernet. Radia Perlman, inventor of the underlying algorithm, recounts how it was first developed.

Developments in nanotechnology in the 1990s made building electronic devices from single molecules a possibility. Cees Dekker recounts how his team created a room-temperature transistor based on a single carbon nanotube.

The discovery of the twisted nematic effect allowed liquid crystal displays to become a practical and ubiquitous technology. Martin Schadt recounts how it came about.

Thin-film transistors made from indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) are driving the next evolution in active-matrix flat panel displays. Hideo Hosono recounts how demand for a high-performance alternative to amorphous silicon transistors led to their development.

The emergence of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) in the 1970s had a huge impact on the future of digital computing. Its inventor, Robert H. Dennard, explains how the drive for simplicity led to this breakthrough.

The memristor — a resistor with memory — was first postulated back in 1971, but it took nearly four decades before it was experimentally confirmed. Leon O. Chua explains how he developed a nonlinear circuit theory in which the memristor emerges naturally as the fourth basic circuit element.

An international collaboration between Philips and the Sony Corporation led to the creation of the compact disc. Kees A. Schouhamer Immink explains how it came about.

Progress in portable and ubiquitous electronics would not be possible without rechargeable batteries. John B. Goodenough recounts the history of the lithium-ion rechargeable battery.

Electronic devices today are untethered and always connected, and wireless networks have enabled this free flow of information. John O’Sullivan details the developments leading up to the establishment of the wireless network standard 802.11a, which is more commonly known as Wi-Fi.

The Intel 4004 is renowned as the world’s first commercial microprocessor. Project leader and designer of the 4004, Federico Faggin, retraces the steps leading to its invention.