Amorphous and Liquid Semiconductors


Book Description

Solid state physics after solving so successfully many fundamental problems in perfect or slightly imperfect crystals, tried in recent years to attack problems associated with large disorder with the aim to understand the consequences of the lack of the long-range order. Semiconductors are much more changed by disorder than metals or insulators, and appear to be the most suitable materials for fundamental work. Considerable exploratory work on amorphous and liquid semiconductors was done by the Leningrad School since the early fifties. In recent years, much research in several countries was directed to deepen the understanding of the structural, electronic, optical, vibrational, magnetic and other proper ties of these materials and to possibly approach the present level of under standing of crystalline semiconductors. This effort was stimulated not only by purely scientific interest but also by the possibility of new applications from which memory devices in the general sense are perhaps the most challenging. The research met with serious difficulties which are absent in crystals.




Amorphous Insulators and Semiconductors


Book Description

The aim of this NATO ASI has been to present an up-to-date overview of current areas of interest in amorphous materials. In order to limit the material to a manageable amount, the meeting was concerned exclusively with insulating and semiconducting materials. The lectures and seminars fill the gap between graduate courses and research seminars. The lecturers and seminar speakers were chosen as experts in their respective areas and the lectures and seminars that were given are presented in this volume. During the first week of the meeting. an emphasis was placed on introductory lectures, mainly associated with questions relating to the glass-formation and the structure of glasses. The second week focused more on research seminars. Each day of the meeting. about four posters were presented during the coffee breaks, and these formed an important focus for discussions. The posters are not reproduced in this volume as the editors wanted to have only larger contributions to make this volume more coherent. This volume is organized into four sections, starting with general considerations of the glass forming ability and techniques for the preparation of different kinds of glasses.




Properties and Applications of Amorphous Materials


Book Description

The aim of this NATO ASI has been to present an up-to-date overview of current areas of interest in amorphous materials, with particular emphasis on electronic properties and device applications. In order to limit the material to a manageable amount, the meeting was concerned almost exclusively with semiconducting materials. This volume should be regarded as a follow-on to the NATO ASI held in Sozopol, Bulgaria in 1996 and published as "Amorphous Insulators and Semiconductors" edited by M.F. Thorpe and M.1. Mitkova (Kluwer Academic Publishers, NATO ASI series, 3 High Technology - Vol. 23). The lectures and seminars fill the gap between graduate courses and research seminars. The lecturers and seminar speakers were chosen as experts in their respective areas, and the lectures and seminars that were given are presented in this volume. During the first week of the meeting, an emphasis was placed on introductory lectures while the second week focused more on research seminars. There were two very good poster sessions that generated a lot of discussion, but these are not reproduced in this volume as the editors wanted to have only larger contributions to make the proceedings more coherent.




Amorphous Semiconductors


Book Description

Amorphous semiconductors are subtances in the amorphous solid state that have the properties of a semiconductor and which are either covalent or tetrahedrally bonded amorphous semiconductors or chelcogenide glasses. Developed from both a theoretical and experimental viewpoint Deals with, amongst others, preparation techniques, structural, optical and electronic properties, and light induced phenomena Explores different types of amorphous semiconductors including amorphous silicon, amorphous semiconducting oxides and chalcogenide glasses Applications include solar cells, thin film transistors, sensors, optical memory devices and flat screen devices including televisions




Semiconductor-On-Insulator Materials for Nanoelectronics Applications


Book Description

"Semiconductor-On-Insulator Materials for NanoElectronics Applications” is devoted to the fast evolving field of modern nanoelectronics, and more particularly to the physics and technology of nanoelectronic devices built on semiconductor-on-insulator (SemOI) systems. The book contains the achievements in this field from leading companies and universities in Europe, USA, Brazil and Russia. It is articulated around four main topics: 1. New semiconductor-on-insulator materials; 2. Physics of modern SemOI devices; 3. Advanced characterization of SemOI devices; 4. Sensors and MEMS on SOI. "Semiconductor-On-Insulator Materials for NanoElectonics Applications” is useful not only to specialists in nano- and microelectronics but also to students and to the wider audience of readers who are interested in new directions in modern electronics and optoelectronics.




Physics and Applications of Non-Crystalline Semiconductors in Optoelectronics


Book Description

The Workshop on Physics and Application of Non-crystalline Semiconductors in Optoelectronics was held from 15 to 17 October 1996 in Chisinau. republic of Moldova and was devoted to the problems of non-crystalline semiconducting materials. The reports covered two mjlin topics: theoretical basis of physics of non -crystalline materials and experimental results. In the framework of these major topics there were treated many subjects. concerning the physics of non-crystalline semiconductors and their specific application: -optical properties of non-crystalline semiconductors; -doping of glassy semiconductors and photoinduced effects in chalcogenide glasses and their application for practical purposes; -methods for investigation of the structure in non-crystalline semiconductors -new glassy materials for IR trasmittance and optoelectronics. Reports and communications were presented on various aspects of the theory. new physical principles. studies of the atomic structure. search and development of optoelectronics devices. Special attention was paid to the actual subject of photoinduced transformations and its applications. Experimental investigations covered a rather wide spectrum of materials and physical phenomena. As a novel item it is worth to mention the study of nonlinear optical effects in amorphous semiconducting films. The third order optical non linearities. fast photoinduced optical absorption and refraction. acusto-optic effects recently discovered in non-crystalline semiconductors could potentially be utilised for optical signal processing. The important problems of photoinduced structural transformations and related phenomena. which are very attractive and actual both from the scientific and practical points of view. received much attention in discussions at the conference.




Insulating and Semiconducting Glasses


Book Description

This book covers the principal topical issues in the basic science of glasses and amorphous thin films. It also includes select applications of these materials in evolving technologies, including digital recording, imaging, solar cells, battery technology and field emission displays. The book can serve as a text for a graduate course in glass science. For an established researcher, it provides, in a concise form, an overview of the basic materials research aspect of these fascinating materials.




The Story of Semiconductors


Book Description

The book provides an overview of the fascinating spectrum of semiconductor physics, devices and applications, presented from a historical perspective. It covers the development of the subject from its inception in the early nineteenth century to the recent millennium. Written in a lively, informal style, it emphasizes the interaction between pure scientific push and commercial pull, on the one hand, and between basic physics, materials, and devices, on the other. It also sets the various device developments in the context of systems requirements and explains how such developments met wide ranging consumer demands. It is written so as to appeal to students at all levels in physics, electrical engineering, and materials science, to teachers, lecturers, and professionals working in the field, as well as to a non-specialist scientific readership.




Technology and Applications of Amorphous Silicon


Book Description

This book gives the first systematic and complete survey of technology and application of amorphous silicon, a material with a huge potential in electronic applications. The book features contributions by world-wide leading researchers in this field.




Electronic Properties of Materials


Book Description

The present book on electrical, optical, magnetic and thermal properties of materials is in many aspects different from other introductory texts in solid state physics. First of all, this book is written for engineers, particularly materials and electrical engineers who want to gain a fundamental under standing of semiconductor devices, magnetic materials, lasers, alloys, etc. Second, it stresses concepts rather than mathematical formalism, which should make the presentation relatively easy to understand. Thus, this book provides a thorough preparation for advanced texts, monographs, or special ized journal articles. Third, this book is not an encyclopedia. The selection oftopics is restricted to material which is considered to be essential and which can be covered in a 15-week semester course. For those professors who want to teach a two-semester course, supplemental topics can be found which deepen the understanding. (These sections are marked by an asterisk [*]. ) Fourth, the present text leaves the teaching of crystallography, X-ray diffrac tion, diffusion, lattice defects, etc. , to those courses which specialize in these subjects. As a rule, engineering students learn this material at the beginning of their upper division curriculum. The reader is, however, reminded of some of these topics whenever the need arises. Fifth, this book is distinctly divided into five self-contained parts which may be read independently.