Charged Coupled Device (CCD)

(1969)
George Smith and Willard Boyle, the inventors of the charged coupled device (CCD)

In 1969, George Smith and Willard Boyle set out to create a new type of computer memory.  They were also interested in developing a new type of camera for video phones.  The result of their work was the charged coupled device (CCD).  All digital cameras sold today use CCDs to record images.

Smith and Boyle were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2009 for their work on CCD technology.

Image Credit
  Kircsh, Russell, Willard Boyle (Left) and George Smith (Right). Lucent Technologies. Accessed: 23 July 2010.
References
[1] Bell Labs: George Smith and Willard Boyle Win C&C Prize for Charge-Coupled Device. bell-labs.com 23 June 2010
[2] The Nobel Prize in Physics 2009. Nobelprize.org. 23 Jun 2010