The metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistor was invented in 1960 and by the mid 1960s integrated circuits (ICs) using these new transistors were commercially available. Since the earliest days of the manufacture of MOS ICs there have been three major yield and reliability concerns. One concern involved the metallization, including step coverage, electromigration, metal-migration, metal reliability, and other problems. A second concern involved the oxide, including bias-temperature stability, uniformity, interface properties, leakage currents, endurance, ever-thinner oxides, reliability and other issues. The third concern involved the semiconductor being used, silicon, and issues such as manufacturing large (100) wafers when all that was available in 1960 was 3/4" (111) silicon, oxygen content, substrate defects, keeping the substrate defect free during processing, gettering of defects, etc. This issue of the International Journal of High Speed Electronic Systems is devoted to the second of the three issues raised above, that is, oxide reliability. Much effort has been expended by others resolving the first and third concerns.