IEEE Foothill Section EDS/CASS Celebrates FET-100 in October
| November 1, 2026 | Posted by Richard Fung under EDCAS, General |
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The IEEE Foothill Section EDS/CaSS Joint Chapter successfully hosted a webinar, “IEEE EDS 100 Years of the FET Series | Phototransistor Memory: Materials, Device Physics, and In-Sensor Processing,” on October 13, 2026. As part of the celebration marking the 100th anniversary of the field-effect transistor (FET), the chapter welcomed Professor Li-Jing Cheng of Oregon State University to present a seminar on an exciting emerging direction in semiconductor devices: phototransistor memory. The event attracted strong interest from both industry and academia. In addition to local IEEE members from the greater East Los Angeles area, attendees from across the United States and Asia joined the event, making it an engaging international gathering.
Professor Cheng discussed the physical mechanisms underlying the operation and memory behavior of hybrid organic–oxide phototransistors. He then presented recent advances in programmable phototransistor memories, in which electrical control of trapped charge enables tunable memory retention, adaptive forgetting, and selected neuromodulator-inspired functions. He concluded with experimental demonstrations highlighting the potential of these devices for in-sensor and temporal information processing by leveraging their programmable physical dynamics.
The seminar was followed by an appreciation award presentation and a Q&A session. The virtual event provided attendees with valuable opportunities to interact directly with Professor Cheng, ask technical questions, and exchange insights on semiconductor technology with fellow participants.
The FET-100 celebration also inspired interest in semiconductor devices among students. The IEEE Student Club at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona), organized a cake celebration during which students gave presentations on the history and evolution of semiconductor transistors.
The Foothill Section extends its appreciation to IEEE EDS for supporting both the virtual seminar and the in-person student celebration. Together, these FET-100 activities successfully promoted awareness and enthusiasm for semiconductor transistor technologies among professionals, academics, and students.
Prepared by Richard (Tze-Ching) Fung for the IEEE Foothill EDS/CAS community.