Chip breakthroughs dominated the list, but applications also generated interest among readers, reflecting growing pressure to bring products to market sooner.

In our No. 1 story of 2006, Silicon Valley editor Mark LaPedus details a claim by IBM Corp. and the Georgia Institute of Technology that they broke the silicon speed record, thanks in part to a "frozen chip." IBM and Georgia Tech said that they demonstrated the first silicon-based chip capable of operating at frequencies above 500 GHz by cryogenically "freezing" the circuit to minus 451 degrees Fahrenheit.