Liquid crystals have emerged as a class of organic materials with potential applications to optics, photonics and optoelectronics. Although a large number of liquid crystals have been discovered or synthesized, fundamental understanding of structure-property relationships at the molecular level is still lacking. Regardless, liquid-crystalline materials have found use in many areas of technology and their scope has been extended with the development of liquid-crystalline polymers, elastomers and composite systems. In addition, emerging advanced technologies, such as flat-panel displays, optical computing and communications, and imaging will call for improved materials as well as novel multifunctional materials. This book presents recent advances in both the fundamental science and application-specific research of LC technology. New synthetic approaches are featured, as are developments in novel glass forming, low-molecular-weight liquid crystals and their utility in both display and optical applications. Topics include: PDLC composites; display and optical applications of LC-based compounds; modelling; rheology; chiral smectics and thermosets.

The feature sizes of microelectronic devices have entered the deep submicron regime. The process integration and structure-properties control of the multilevel metal circuitry demand an interdisciplinary interaction and understanding between manufacturing and research. To realize the vision presented in the national technology road map, material and technological challenges will need to be overcome. For example Cu conductor and its barrier metals and low-dielectric constant insulators are at issue. For materials processing, chemical-mechanical planarization and low-temperature filling of high-aspect ratio vias are challenges. For materials examination, the metrology of submicron structures is nontrivial and for materials reliability, the interplay among multiple driving forces and the response in small-dimension microstructures are intriguing. These issues are the focus of this book from MRS. Topics include: road map, technology and metrology of submicron device structures; reliability issues for Cu metallization; Al interconnects and vias; barrier metal; interlevel low-K dielectrics and contact to Si and compound semiconductors.

Volume is indexed by Thomson Reuters CPCI-S (WoS). Liquid crystals are substances that have properties which are intermediate between those of a conventional liquid and those of a solid crystal. This special collection comprises peer-reviewed papers that are concerned with all aspects of liquid crystal science and technology. The volume consists of five parts: plenary lectures, the molecular design and synthesis of liquid crystals, the characterization of liquid crystals, the applications of liquid crystals, and the emerging technologies and materials relevant to information display.

Proceedings of the December 1996 symposium. Contains 159 papers which describe materials advances involving stuctures spanning more than five orders of magnitude in size--from Group IV molecular clusters to single-crystal grains large enough for fabrication of thin-film transistors within their boundaries. Sections cover topics such as the theory of semiconductor molecular clusters and nanocrystals; luminescent Group IV clusters/nanocrystals and quantum wells; semiconductor systems confined in three and one dimensions; Group III- V, Group II-VI, and metal sulfide, iodide, and oxide nanocrystals; porous silicon; applications of nanocrystal and porous semiconductors; light-emitting properties and applications of porous Si; and research results on the nano-, micro-, and polycrystalline thin films. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

This book from the highly successful series on amorphous-silicon science and devices reflects the increasing range of applications for a-Si technology. Advances in solar cells incorporating microcrystalline silicon absorber layers are discussed, and a new manufacturing facility for amorphous-silicon-based tandem solar cells is highlighted. Progress towards realizing both higher resolution and improved visibility in active-matrix liquid crystal displays is featured. And while work on raising the deposition rate for amorphous-silicon transistors is also outlined, it is expected that advances in devices and manufacturing will be accelerated when several fundamental puzzles regarding amorphous silicon's structure and optoelectronic properties are resolved. Topics include: solar cells; thin-film transistors and flat-panel displays; sensors, detectors and novel devices; device physics; deposition technologies; studies of growth processes; hydrogen and structure a-Si:H; defects and equilibration in a-Si:H; fundamental issues in defect processes; transport and recombination processes; thin films for photovoltaic and related device applications.