Technology '89: solid state

Developments in solid-state technology during 1988 are discussed. The pace was set by memory integrated circuits, with the proliferation of flash E/sup 2/PROMs (electrically erasable programmable read-only memories) and the announcement of prototype 16 Mb dynamic RAMs (random-access memories). Analog integrated circuitry continued its mild renaissance, as methods of combining analog and digital devices on the same chip where further explored and refined. Chip makers continued to find paths around roadblocks to high integration, breaching the 1- mu m barrier. On the business front, the semiconductor market was more profitable than it has been in some time, and there were a number of significant mergers, and international competition continued to be tense.<>