Abstract: The human brain has approximately 1015 synapses. It operates reliably using a 1msec clock with an activity level of 0.1%. Dissipating about 30W, the functional throughput is 1015 Gate-Hz (or synapse-Hz). Right now, the silicon microelectronics industry is poised to achieve similar performance with comparable complexity and reliability using the ultra-large scale integrated circuit (IC). Instead of a neuron, an integrated circuit uses a MOSFET as a switch and multiple levels of metal wiring for interconnections. A recent recasting of the MOSFET has made it technologically possible to incorporate billions of transistors, operating with a 1nsec clock at a 0.1% activity level, into a single circuit on a 3-10cm2 die, providing us with the same functional throughput as the human brain. The key element that will enable this revolutionary performance is the ballistic nano-transistor. This seminar will describe the manufacturing prowess that is required to fabricate the ballistic nano-transistor, and delineate the physics exercised to achieve the performance specifications for integration into a reliable, billion, transistor IC.