Centennial of the semiconductor diode detector

J.C. Bose, a physicist from India, developed a semiconductor receiver for the detection of millimeter waves (60 GHz) during 1894-1896. Interestingly, Bose's galena receiver, for which he received a patent (application filed September 30, 1901, issued March 29, 1904), is the forerunner of semiconductor diode detectors. This paper reviews the pioneering work of Bose in the area of millimeter waves and appraises the circumstances leading to the development and construction of such a device.