The Micro and Nanotechnology Lab is being named for Nick Holonyak Jr., inventor of the first visible LED and other breakthroughs that have transformed technology. URBANA — One of the most accomplished — and colorful — scholars to work at the University of Illinois now has a building named in his honor. The UI's Micro and Nanotechnology Lab is being named for engineering icon Nick Holonyak Jr., inventor of the first visible LED and other breakthroughs that have transformed technology. read more