The idea of a CCD can be traced back to the late 1960s when the staff of AT&T Bell Laboratories worked on devices similar to semiconductors.

Today, CCDs are widely used in other devices. Many of them work by directing electrical charges at an atomic level, like in solid-state design where "doping" materials with chemicals help to manipulate the positioning of electrons. Other devices such as digital cameras make use of CCDs to provide better and more agile products than those previously available on the market.