This book provides a comprehensive introduction to all aspects of low-energy ion–solid interaction from basic principles to advanced applications in materials science. It features a balanced and insightful approach to the fundamentals of the low-energy ion–solid surface interaction, focusing on relevant topics such as interaction potentials, kinetics of binary collisions, ion range, radiation damages, and sputtering. Additionally, the book incorporates key updates reflecting the latest relevant results of modern research on topics such as topography evolution and thin-film deposition under ion bombardment, ion beam figuring and smoothing, generation of nanostructures, and ion beam-controlled glancing angle deposition. Filling a gap of almost 20 years of relevant research activity, this book offers a wealth of information and up-to-date results for graduate students, academic researchers, and industrial scientists working in these areas.

Defects in Two-Dimensional Materials addresses the fundamental physics and chemistry of defects in 2D materials and their effects on physical, electrical and optical properties. The book explores 2D materials such as graphene, hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD). This knowledge will enable scientists and engineers to tune 2D materials properties to meet specific application requirements. The book reviews the techniques to characterize 2D material defects and compares the defects present in the various 2D materials (e.g. graphene, h-BN, TMDs, phosphorene, silicene, etc.). As two-dimensional materials research and development is a fast-growing field that could lead to many industrial applications, the primary objective of this book is to review, discuss and present opportunities in controlling defects in these materials to improve device performance in general or use the defects in a controlled way for novel applications. Presents the theory, physics and chemistry of 2D materials Catalogues defects of 2D materials and their impacts on materials properties and performance Reviews methods to characterize, control and engineer defects in 2D materials

Two-dimensional semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), which can be easily exfoliated into thin layers, have attracted attention because of their interesting electrical and optical properties. The band structure of TMDs change dramatically with the number of layers, going from an indirect gap in bulk materials to direct gap in monolayers. Sizable band gap makes TMDs a promising material for optical and electronic applications. Indirect to direct transition of band gaps in 2D-TMDs lead to a drastic increase in photoluminescence (PL) intensity as the number of layers decrease. However, intrinsic defects and strain within the structure of monolayer TMD crystals can affect their electronic and optical properties.

This book summarizes the current status of theoretical and experimental progress in 2 dimensional graphene-like monolayers and few-layers of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs). Semiconducting monolayer TMDCs, due to the presence of a direct gap, significantly extend the potential of low-dimensional nanomaterials for applications in nanoelectronics and nano-optoelectronics as well as flexible nano-electronics with unprecedented possibilities to control the gap by external stimuli. Strong quantum confinement results in extremely high exciton binding energies which forms an interesting platform for both fundamental studies and device applications. Breaking of spatial inversion symmetry in monolayers results in strong spin-valley coupling potentially leading to their use in valleytronics. Starting with the basic chemistry of transition metals, the reader is introduced to the rich field of transition metal dichalcogenides. After a chapter on three dimensional crystals and a description of top-down and bottom-up fabrication methods of few-layer and single layer structures, the fascinating world of two-dimensional TMDCs structures is presented with their unique atomic, electronic, and magnetic properties. The book covers in detail particular features associated with decreased dimensionality such as stability and phase-transitions in monolayers, the appearance of a direct gap, large binding energy of 2D excitons and trions and their dynamics, Raman scattering associated with decreased dimensionality, extraordinarily strong light-matter interaction, layer-dependent photoluminescence properties, new physics associated with the destruction of the spatial inversion symmetry of the bulk phase, spin-orbit and spin-valley couplings. The book concludes with chapters on engineered heterostructures and device applications such as a monolayer MoS2 transistor. Considering the explosive interest in physics and applications of two-dimensional materials, this book is a valuable source of information for material scientists and engineers working in the field as well as for the graduate students majoring in materials science.

This book presents the method of ion beam modification of solids in realization, theory and applications in a comprehensive way. It provides a review of the physical basics of ion-solid interaction and on ion-beam induced structural modifications of solids. Ion beams are widely used to modify the physical properties of materials. A complete theory of ion stopping in matter and the calculation of the energy loss due to nuclear and electronic interactions are presented including the effect of ion channeling. To explain structural modifications due to high electronic excitations, different concepts are presented with special emphasis on the thermal spike model. Furthermore, general concepts of damage evolution as a function of ion mass, ion fluence, ion flux and temperature are described in detail and their limits and applicability are discussed. The effect of nuclear and electronic energy loss on structural modifications of solids such as damage formation, phase transitions and amorphization is reviewed for insulators and semiconductors. Finally some selected applications of ion beams are given.