The main purpose of this book is to provide a comprehensive treatment of the materials aspects of group-IV, III−V and II−VI semiconductor alloys used in various electronic and optoelectronic devices. The topics covered in this book include the structural, thermal, mechanical, lattice vibronic, electronic, optical and carrier transport properties of such semiconductor alloys. The book reviews not only commonly known alloys (SiGe, AlGaAs, GaInPAs, and ZnCdTe) but also new alloys, such as dilute-carbon alloys (CSiGe, CSiSn, etc.), III−N alloys, dilute-nitride alloys (GaNAs and GaInNAs) and Mg- or Be-based II−VI semiconductor alloys. Finally there is an extensive bibliography included for those who wish to find additional information as well as tabulated values and graphical information on the properties of semiconductor alloys.

The phenomenonofspontaneous ordering in semiconductoralloys, which can be categorized as a self-organized process, is observed to occur sponta neously during epitaxial growth of certain ternary alloy semiconductors and results in a modification of their structural, electronic, and optical properties. There has been a great dealofinterest in learning how to control this phenome non so that it may be used for tailoring desirable electronic and optical properties. There has been even greater interest in exploiting the phenomenon for its unique ability in providing an experimental environment of controlled alloy statistical fluctuations. As such, itimpacts areasofsemiconductorscience and technology related to the materials science ofepitaxial growth, statistical mechanics, and electronic structure of alloys and electronic and photonic devices. During the past two decades, significant progress has been made toward understanding the mechanisms that drive this phenomenon and the changes in physical properties that result from it. A variety of experimental techniques have been used to probe the phenomenon and several attempts made atproviding theoretical models both for the ordering mechanisms as well as electronic structure changes. The various chapters of this book provide a detailed account of these efforts during the past decade. The first chapter provides an elaborate account of the phenomenon, with an excellent perspective of the structural and elec tronic modifications itinduces.

III-V semiconductors have attracted considerable attention due to their applications in the fabrication of electronic and optoelectronic devices as light-emitting diodes and solar cells. Because of their wide applications in a variety of devices, the search for new semiconductor materials and the improvement of existing materials is an important field of study. This new book covers all known information about phase relations in ternary systems based on III-V semiconductors. This book will be of interest to undergraduate and graduate students studying materials science, solid state chemistry, and engineering. It will also be relevant for researchers at industrial and national laboratories, in addition to phase diagram researchers, inorganic chemists, and solid state physicists.

The alloy system A1GaAs/GaAs is potentially of great importance for many high-speed electronics and optoelectronic devices, because the lattice parameter difference GaAs and A1GaAs is very small, which promises an insignificant concentration of undesirable interface states. Thanks to this prominent feature, a number of interesting properties and phenomena, such as high-mobility low-dimensional carrier gases, resonant tunnelling and fractional quantum Hall effect, have been found in the A1GaAs/GaAs heterostructure system. New devices, such as modulation-doped FETs, heterojunction bipolar transistors, resonant tunnelling transistors, quantum-well lasers, and other photonic and quantum-effect devices, have also been developed recently using this material system. These areas are recognized as not being the most interesting and active fields in semiconductor physics and device engineering.

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.

This book describes semiconductors from a materials science perspective rather than from condensed matter physics or electrical engineering viewpoints. It includes discussion of current approaches to organic materials for electronic devices. It further describes the fundamental aspects of thin film nucleation and growth, and the most common physical and chemical vapor deposition techniques. Examples of the application of the concepts in each chapter to specific problems or situations are included, along with recommended readings and homework problems.

Written by recognized leaders in this dynamic and rapidly expanding field, Indium Nitride and Related Alloys provides a clear and comprehensive summary of the present state of knowledge in indium nitride (InN) research. It elucidates and clarifies the often confusing and contradictory scientific literature to provide valuable and rigorous insight into the structural, optical, and electronic properties of this quickly emerging semiconductor material and its related alloys. Drawing from both theoretical and experimental perspectives, it provides a thorough review of all data since 2001 when the band gap of InN was identified as 0.7 eV. The superior transport and optical properties of InN and its alloys offer tremendous potential for a wide range of device applications, including high-efficiency solar cells and chemical sensors. Indeed, the now established narrow band gap nature of InN means that the InGaN alloys cover the entire solar spectrum and InAlN alloys span from the infrared to the ultraviolet. However, with unsolved problems including high free electron density, difficulty in characterizing p-type doping, and the lack of a lattice-matched substrate, indium nitride remains perhaps the least understood III-V semiconductor. Covering the epitaxial growth, experimental characterization, theoretical understanding, and device potential of this semiconductor and its alloys, this book is essential reading for both established researchers and those new to the field.