Oct 1, 1897 CE
Discovery of the Electron
J.J. Thomson identifies the electron using cathode ray tubes, laying the foundational physics for all future electronic devices. #modern #technology
Chronological Storyline (19 Milestones)
Nov 16, 1904 CE
Invention of the Vacuum Tube Diode
John Ambrose Fleming patents the thermionic valve, enabling the rectification of alternating currents for early radio receivers. #modern #technology
Dec 23, 1947 CE
Invention of the Point-Contact Transistor
Bell Labs scientists demonstrate the first working solid-state amplifier, revolutionizing modern computing and telecommunications. #contemporary #technology
May 10, 1954 CE
First Commercial Silicon Transistor
Texas Instruments releases a silicon-based semiconductor, offering superior thermal stability and performance over earlier germanium models. #contemporary #technology
Sep 12, 1958 CE
Invention of the Integrated Circuit
Jack Kilby demonstrates a working microchip at Texas Instruments, combining multiple electronic components on a single piece of germanium. #contemporary #technology
Nov 1, 1960 CE
Invention of the MOSFET
Mohamed Atalla and Dawon Kahng demonstrate the metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor, forming the basis of modern digital logic. #contemporary #technology
Mar 1, 1963 CE
Invention of CMOS Logic
Frank Wanlass patents Complementary MOS technology, drastically reducing static power consumption and heat generation in integrated circuits. #contemporary #technology
Apr 19, 1965 CE
Formulation of Moore's Law
Gordon Moore predicts that the number of transistors on a microchip will double approximately every two years, guiding industry roadmaps. #contemporary #technology
Nov 15, 1971 CE
Release of the Intel 4004
Intel launches the world's first commercial single-chip microprocessor, a 4-bit CPU originally designed for a Japanese calculator company. #contemporary #technology
Oct 1, 1980 CE
First 1-Megabit DRAM Chip
IBM and Hitachi successfully develop high-density memory chips, marking a massive leap in semiconductor memory capacity for computing systems. #contemporary #technology
Apr 1, 1985 CE
First ARM Processor Designed
Acorn Computers develops the first Acorn RISC Machine chip, pioneering the highly energy-efficient architecture that dominates mobile devices today. #contemporary #technology
Apr 1, 1989 CE
Commercialization of Flash Memory
Toshiba introduces the first commercial NAND flash storage, enabling non-volatile, electrically erasable solid-state memory for consumer electronics. #contemporary #technology
Oct 11, 1999 CE
First Commercial GPU Released
Nvidia launches the GeForce 256, coining the term Graphics Processing Unit and integrating transform and lighting hardware on a single chip. #contemporary #technology
Jul 27, 2006 CE
Intel Core 2 Duo Launch
Intel releases the Core 2 architecture, shifting the semiconductor industry focus from raw clock speed to multi-core efficiency and performance. #contemporary #technology
May 4, 2011 CE
Introduction of 3D Tri-Gate Transistors
Intel announces the first commercial 22nm 3D transistor design, moving away from planar architectures to significantly reduce current leakage. #contemporary #technology
Apr 1, 2018 CE
First 7nm EUV Lithography Chips
TSMC begins risk production of advanced chips using Extreme Ultraviolet lithography, enabling unprecedented transistor density and power efficiency. #contemporary #technology
Nov 10, 2020 CE
Apple M1 SoC Launch
Apple introduces a custom ARM-based system-on-chip, proving that highly integrated mobile architectures can outperform traditional desktop processors. #contemporary #technology
Dec 29, 2022 CE
Commercialization of 3nm Nodes
TSMC announces mass production of its advanced FinFET process node, pushing the physical limits of traditional transistor architectures for premium chips. #contemporary #technology
Dec 1, 2023 CE
Delivery of High-NA EUV Machines
ASML ships the first High-NA EUV lithography system to Intel, an essential tool for manufacturing future 2nm and sub-2nm semiconductor nodes. #contemporary #technology